Tamil Nadu   

More land still under opium in Karnataka: narcotics bureau

By K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI, MARCH 13. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) strongly suspects that 500 more acres is still under illegal opium cultivation in two Karnataka districts and is writing to the State Government and the Director-General of Police, asking them to take urgent steps to stop poppy growing by farmers.

The administration and the police in the districts have been requested to conduct a survey of the area under poppy and destroy the remaining crop immediately, the NCB south zonal unit Director, Shankar Jiwal, told The Hindu.

On March 9, the NCB and the Karnataka police destroyed standing opium crop on three acres within the Hoskote, Nandagudi and Shidlagatta (rural) police station limits in Bangalore (Rural) and Kolar districts. Only in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and western parts of Uttar Pradesh was opium being grown under licence from the Central Bureau of Narcotics, Gwalior. Poppy seeds (khas khas) were being imported from Turkey and the wholesale rate ranges from Rs.130 to 140 a kg in the Bangalore market.

Recently, importers noticed a reduction in purchase of poppy seeds by traders. There was a big inflow of the spice from the suburban areas of Bangalore. Following this, the NCB swung into action and found that poppy was raised on land abutting main roads in the two districts. The area under cultivation ranged from two cents to 10 acres.

Initially, villagers protested against the destruction of the crop. They said that owing to drought water level had fallen, but opium did not need much supply; nor was pesticide/fertilizer required. Moreover, they got a fair price of Rs. 90 a kg. The farmers pleaded that they did not know that the cultivation was illegal. The crop had been raised only for selling the seeds. Poppy husk was sold to illicit distillers who mixed it with arrack for "additional kick".

Mr. Jiwal said the bureau had intelligence information that some persons enquired with farmers about possible sale of opium gum, from which brown sugar is made. If the cultivation was not stopped immediately, it might lead to organised crime involving drug traffickers.

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