BENGALURU/BELAGAVI: Karnataka police will set on fire various psychotropic and narcotic substances worth over Rs 50 crore to mark International Day against Drug Abuse on Saturday.
This includes nearly 24,000kg of marijuana alone seized in various districts.
The commissioner of police and superintendent in districts and cities, including Bengaluru, will oversee the mass destruction of narcotic substances seized last year.
According to the home department, a record 4,066 cases were registered under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), leading to the massive seizure worth more than Rs 50 crore, and arrest of 5,291 people.
Despite the Covid-induced lockdown, drug supply into the state continues unabated.
Besides marijuana, the seizures include over 34kg of poppy and 161kg of opium.
“In the previous years, the department was targeting peddlers.
In 2020, we analysed the supply chain and went to the roots,” said DGP & IGP Praveen Sood.
“Also, state and Bengaluru police were able to penetrate the dark net, where drug trade is rampant these days.
Other than Bengaluru, a large quantity of narcotic substances were seized from places like Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Udupi.
The drugs flow into these districts from other states too.” Sood said the actual seizure is much more but the courts have only permitted a stipulated amount of drugs for destruction.
Ganja and poppy worth over Rs 60 lakh destroyed in BelagaviOfficials said permission has been obtained from the pollution control board for burning of the drugs.
In Belagavi, 786kg of ganja and 31kg of poppy will be destroyed at a factory of Green Management Private Limited, which deals with medical disposal.
The drugs will be burnt in closed containers.
In other districts too, similar procedures will be followed.
Other drugs include brown sugar, heroin, hashish, charas, cocaine, MDMA powder, MDMA tablets, amphetamine and LSD strips.