Police seize 202 kg of cannabis, arrest farmer in Karnataka

Police seized more than 200 kg of cannabis and arrested a 56‑year‑old farmer in Dindawar village, Vijayapura district, on Oct 18, after a tip led the special narcotics vigilance cell of Basavana Bagewadi police station to raid the plot. The team inspected the farm, confirmed the offence under the NDPS Act and took Sharanappa Jeer into custody. Investigators found red gram cultivated around the edges of his 5‑acre land, while over 500 cannabis plants grew in the centre. The seized cannabis weighed 202.75 kg and was valued at ₹1,01,37,500. Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi praised the efforts of officers Chandrakant Nandareddy, Gurushanth Dashyal and other members of the raid team. Officer Nandareddy led the ground operation; Dashyal oversaw evidence collection. The SP urged the public to report any information on the production, sale or use of narcotic drugs to the police without delay, warning that silence helps drug networks and endangers local communities.

Context

Karnataka’s NDPS enforcement has intensified after a rise in illicit cannabis cultivation in the state’s interior districts. The NDPS Act classifies cannabis as a narcotic, carrying up to ten years’ imprisonment and heavy fines for growers. The value of the seized batch reflects the high market price for bulk cannabis, prompting police to monitor agricultural lands where legal crops like red gram are interspersed with illegal plants. Such operations aim to curb the supply chain that feeds both domestic use and cross‑border trafficking.