The Visakhapatnam Rural Police seized around 585 kg of ganja on Monday, near the Peddapeta junction in Rolugunta Mandal.
According to reports, the cops arrested four people, who are believed to be part of a seven-member gang, as they were shifting the ganja in a truck.
The New Indian Express reported that the police found 270 packets of ganja, stuffed in 18 bags, which were in turn hidden inside drums meant for carrying chemicals.
A case has been registered and investigation is on.
The arrest came just a day after the Advanced Data Processing Research Institute (ADRIN), which is part of the Department of Space, Govt. of India, was able to spot ganja cultivation areas successfully, in the dense forests of Visakhapatnam.
After three patches were spotted by ADRIN, the Prohibition and Excise department together with the armed forces went to these areas and confirmed the cultivation of ganja.
The crop was destroyed and the tribals in these areas were told not to indulge in ganja cultivation.
Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered police officials to take strict action against people indulging in ganja cultivation.
In July last year, the state government stepped up efforts to curb the smuggling of marijuana in the Visakhapatnam agency area with a massive awareness drive in more than a hundred villages.
Mandal-level committees were formed to identify villages where marijuana is cultivated by farmers for money.
The government also added that it will help the farmers and other people involved in various levels of the trade by providing them with alternate employment.
Officials also suspect that a lot of Maoists are involved in cultivation of the plant and use the money gained from its sale, for their activities.
The police had also set up CCTV cameras and identified routes via which the marijuana is smuggled to crackdown on it.
Enanble Notification: NoTNM Marquee: No
