Visakhapatnam: The police and prohibition and excise departments are chalking out plans to deploy unmanned vehicles and use latest technology to find out the extent of ganja cultivation in the state and along the Andhra-Odisha border. The police will use the data to prepare plans to check the cultivation and smuggling of hemp in Vizag and East Godavari districts.

The state agencies enforcing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act will be seeking the support of Central agencies for better coordination to smash the network of ganja smugglers. Additional Director-General of police (law and order) Harish Kumar Gupta on Wednesday reviewed the illegal ganja trade with all stakeholders such as prohibition and Excise, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Customs, all departments of police and Narcotics Control Bureau.

Apart from the use of drones, the government is mulling the use of GIS mapping of the Agency areas in Vizag and East Godavari districts, especially those in the interior parts of the Andhra Odisha border that are inaccessible due to the terrain or Maoist influence. Replying a question on the recent talks with Israel for improving the surveillance in Vizag Agency by using aerostat technology, Mr Gupta said the talks were fruitful. Aerostats are balloons fitted with high-definition cameras that can be remotely operated. “We are also planning to set up an exclusive dog squad to address the ganja problem in each district,” he said.

Director of Prohibition and Excise K. Venkateswara Rao said they had received some reports citing that some officials were supporting ganja smugglers. “We will initiate action against them soon,” he said. Mr Rao didn’t rule the possibility that Maoists were encouraging tribal farmers to grow ganja.