Sonamura, August 20 (TIWN): Acting on a tip-off, a joint raid involving the Sonamura Sub-Divisional Administration, BSF 158 Battalion and Kalamchowra P.S. was carried out on 19.08.2014 in Nutan Colony of South Kalamchowra Gram Panchayat under Boxanagar R D Block. The Raid, headed by Subhasis Das, SDM Sonamura, spanned about three hours, from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. About 12 houses and adjoining places were searched during the raid, and about 800 kg of dried cannabis (ganja) was recovered, market value of which is estimated at rupees forty lakh.

A specific case has been registered by the BSF in Kalamchowra P.S. against Rashid Ali, son of Adam Khan, under the NDPS Act. It may be mentioned that a series of raids has been conducted across the Sonamura Sub-Division in the last few months in which huge amounts of dried cannabis worth crores of rupees was recovered. There are organized gangs of smugglers who are involved in the lucrative business of cannabis. Surprisingly, fresh ganja plantations were spotted even on forest land in the Nutan Colony area, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the Forest Conservation Act. There are reports that similar plantations are also being raised over vast swathes of forest land in certain specified areas of Sonamura Sub-Division.

Since the unaccounted money that are involved in such illicit cultivation and smuggling of ganja are widely believed to provide sustenance to the organized gangs operating across the unfenced, open border of the Sub-Division leading to frequent border crimes and ruination of the local cultural base, it becomes vitally important that stringent deterrent actions are taken against the persons culpable for raising such illicit ganja plantations. The SDM Sonamura has therefore asked the Forest Department officials to launch a concerted operation to identify the areas where such plantations have been raised, for destroying them immediately, and to take appropriate legal actions against those responsible. Rohit Singh, Coy Commander of the Kalamchowra BOP of BSF 158 Battalion, BSF Inspector Nabin Chaudhury and Arun Yadav, other BSF security personnel and police personnel from the Kalamchowra Police Station had participated in the successful operation in Nutan Colony.      

SDM Sonamura Subhashis Das , BSF COY Commander Rohit Singh and other officials conducting raids.