Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh had a trajectory similar to Kerala’s Idukki vis-a-vis ganja trade and cultivation. The tribal areas of the district, which were once major weed-producing regions, have turned to be a smugglers’ corridor between Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
If the district produced 70 percent ganja and smuggled in the rest of the requirement to supply its network, the ratio has reversed now.
The dense jungle provides enough cover for the smugglers to sneak in the contraband undetected. The excise officers admit that they are too few to carry out any anti-ganja operations in the forest territory. Their firearms are no match for the savvy smugglers.
Part I : Ganja gets three cheers as bars go dry in Kerala
Part II : Psychedelic 'Idukki Gold', made in Andhra & Orissa | Video
The Excise Deputy Commissioner’s office is situated in a rented building four kilometers off Srikakulam town. The key office does not have enough staff or vehicle to keep track of the rampant smuggling and bootlegging in the district. Officers do not hesitate to admit that the only time they are able to nab an offender is when rivals assist the operations.
Part III : A haven for pot that keeps tribal economy afloat
The affable Deputy Commissioner claims that ganja cultivation has come down significantly in the district. The cultivation and smuggling dens have shifted to Visakhapatnam, says Surendra. He cited some numbers, but could not back them with any documents.
The drug capital of south India
Visakhapatnam is 110 kilometers away from Srikakulam. This coastal city is arguably the capital of ganja and drug smuggling in south India. The Excise Department seized 18,489 kilos of pot from Visakhapatnam in 2014-15 and 16,009 in 2015-16. As much as 1,428 kilos of ganja was seized in June alone, almost equal to the volumes seized in Kerala in an entire year.
As many as 3,79,000 ganja plants were destroyed over 59 acres in Visakhapatnam district in the last two years.
As much as 2,20,977.191 kilo weed was seized in the last 10 years, according to data submitted by the state government in the Supreme Court. Only 3,910.70 kilos were destroyed. The rest of the contraband is stockpiled across the police and excise stations. A significant volume from this is occasionally reintroduced to the market thanks to sketchy records and corrupt cops.
We asked the Visakhapatnam Excise Deputy Commissioner about the district’s notoriety. DCP Gopal Krishna told us to wait for his boss, Excise Director K. Venketeswara Rao IPS, who was visiting the district that afternoon.
Rao acknowledged that Visakhapatnam was a den of ganja smuggling, but lamented that the department had only limited powers to take action against the network. Most of the ganja plantations are deep inside Maoist-infested areas. Excise officers cannot even think of entering the area without support from the paramilitary forces, he said. Central agencies were not very helpful in launching a crackdown against the ganja racket, he said.
Any operation against the ganja trade could only trap the tribesmen, who acted as small-time carriers for the mafia leaders.
The department is aware of plantations that range up to 50,000 acres but the officers are helpless, Rao said.
Most of these plantations are concentrated in Araku, Paderu, Narsipatnam and Chinthapalli areas surrounding Visakhapatnam. All of them are dominated by Maoist rebels. The police or Excise have nothing to do with these areas, they admit.
We proceed to Paderu, ignoring the warnings by the excise officers. The hill station is 120 kilometers away from Visakhapatnam. After many hairpin bends, we reach the small town with an almost deserted excise office. The station has only three personnel. The other 10 had managed to get transferred to safer areas. The station is run by temporary staff, mostly recruited from the people in the locality.
Stockpiled weeds
We did not have any difficulty in locating the office. It reeked of dried ganja leaves. The only cell in the station is used as a storehouse of seized ganja sacks. The herbs are spilling over to the office room, even piling up under the chair of the circle inspector. Vehicles from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala rust in front of the station. They have been seized for smuggling ganja.
The Circle Inspector came to the station around noon after he was informed by his staff of our visit. He lives 40 kilometers away on the way to Visakhapatnam. That is his only reason to stay on in this difficult assignment even as most of his colleagues have fled to more secure posts.
He was amused to see journalists from Kerala. "We nab a lot of people from your state," he told us. His amusement increased when we told him of our purpose of visit. Even he has not seen much of the ganja fields. They go in groups of 200 or 300 officials with the support of paramilitary forces whenever they have to conduct a raid.
Anything happens in those areas, he added. He said he had come across instances of miscreants extorting money from tribal planters under the guise of the excise personnel. The tribesmen would not know because the excise officer has never set foot in those areas. Rather, he is not allowed to.
The ganja trade in those areas are controlled by Maoist rebels. They have a virtual monopoly over the illegal business. They supply 100 plants to each tribal family. Raising anymore plants would attract punishment from the ultras. Once the plants are matured, they have to be harvested and handed over to the rebels. They would sell it for a premium.
The Paderu excise station does not even have a phone. "Keeping firearms is out of question," the officer said with a laugh. "The Maoists would steal weapons if we keep it here." The firearms are kept in the rural Police Superintendent’s office. "Anyway, we do not do much inspection in the Maoist areas. We might go for checks at the Paderu check post, only if we get exact information," the circle inspector said.
All the Excise Department does in this ganja heartland is to get hold of the occasional bootlegger.