Ganja trade in Mangalhat on the wane

Hyderabad: There was a time when walking down the lanes of the Jhinsi Chowraha area in Mangalhat was a nightmare, the region being notorious for sale of marijuana.

Now, thanks to an intense police crackdown on ganja trade, Mangalhat is a bit sober, with no late-night gatherings at street corners or strangers moving around stealthily looking for a quick deal.

Ram Singh Lodha, a local resident, said law enforcement agencies were doing a great job. “After illicit liquor breweries were closed, ganja trade flourished. We want the authorities to focus on rehabilitation of families engaged in the trade so that they don’t return to the illegal business,” he said.

A sense of security too prevails in Dhoolpet. The crackdown began in September and since then, 34 cases were registered in the Mangalhat police station alone against those involved in the ganja trade. The police invoked PD Act against seven persons in the last two months while proceedings were initiated against 20 others.

“The PD Act will be invoked against a few more peddlers soon,” Mangalhat Inspector N Ravi said. Apart from enforcement, the police along with Prohibition and Excise officials are meeting families of those involved in the illicit trade.

“We are telling them to take up other alternatives to earn a livelihood and also assisting them in connecting with government agencies and NGOs,” Dhoolpet P&E Superintendent K Naveen Kumar said.

The police in coordination with Excise officials have set up five check posts apart from forming special teams to tackle the ganja business. “Law enforcement agencies developed an information network involving local communities. All information provided by locals is worked upon and the offenders are arrested,” the Inspector said.