The R Udaygiri police and Excise Department officials on Saturday conducted raids in forests near Paikara and Jaliapanga areas in Dabaraguda panchayat in Gajapati district and destroyed cannabis plants worth around Rs 16.50 crore.
The total cultivation spread over an area of 42.5 acres was torched by the police personnel. R Udayagiri SDPO Ashok Kumar Mohanty said that the drive will continue and awareness would be created among local people to help police check the illegal ganja cultivation.
He also said that the team destroyed around 1.65 lakh ganja plants worth Rs 16.50 crore. The trees were torched on the direction of SP Sara Sharma.