Nexus between ganja smugglers, excise staff in Agency

Visakhapatnam: Suspension of two prohibition and excise officials in a span of two years and ever increasing ganja trade in the Visakha Agency points to the strong nexus between the excise officials and the smugglers.
Inspector prohibition and excise, Paderu P Srinivasa Rao was suspended for his alleged involvement in the smuggling in the Agency.

Director of prohibition and excise K Venkateswara Rao recently said the police arrested some ganja smugglers for transporting the ganja in an oil tanker in 2016 and the inspector Srinivasa Rao was named by the driver of the tanker and some smugglers.

Prima facie evidence has been established and he was suspended. Srinivasa Rao was the second officer in the district suspended in connection illegal ganja trade.

It may recalled that in 2015, M Jagan Mohan Rao, inspector of prohibition and excise, Narsipatnam in the district was suspended for pilferage of ganja from the godowns, which were under his control.

Senior officials from the enforcement wing of the excise department visited the excise police station in Narsipatnam following the complaints that some seized ganja that was stored in the station had been pilfered.

The enforcement staff found shortage of about 3,000 kgs of dry ganja in the station. Sources said Jagan Mohan Rao sold the ganja back to the smugglers and had collected money.

Sources in the Agency said that unless aided by the excise staff and police, smuggling of ganja in such huge volume was not possible.

The turnover had reached Rs 1,000 crore per annum and smugglers from all over the country are descending in the Agency. Smugglers from nine states have been identified so far.Refusing the allegation of a nexus, deputy commissioner of prohibition and excise S Gopala Krishna said the two officials were black spots in the force that was dedicated to the task.

“If one goes by the number of smugglers languishing in the jail after booked under NDPS Act, one can for sure presume the excise officials are doing tremendous job in spite of handicaps and the danger involved in nabbing the smugglers, who have a dangerous criminal record,” Gopala Krishna said.

Talking to The Hans India, the deputy commissioner said his department has only three stations spread over 11 mandals of the Agency compared to the police who have stations in all the mandals.

He said the terrain is tough and ganja cultivation is spread over a vast expanse in the ghats with much of the weed
produced in neighboring Odisha State.“Yet we are trying to enforce NDPS Act with the help of, directorate of revenue intelligence, customs, all departments of police and Narcotics Control Bureau.

Other than the enforcement, social organisations should involve in the educating the tribal farmers to grow apples, strawberries, lichies and coffee, which would earn them more money than the ganja,” the deputy commissioner said.

By KMP Patnaik