Vizag excise dept to set up 10 checkposts to curb Ganja smuggling

Vishakapatnam, Dec 09: The Department of Excise and Prohibition will be setting up 10 exclusive checkposts in the Agency area of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari districts to curb the cultivation and smuggling of ganja.

The Director of Enforcement Prohibition and Excise K. Venkateswara Rao disclosed this at a press conference in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

According to Mr. Venkateswara Rao, the Excise Department had prepared a plan covering all the major routes from Agency areas leading to National Highway in the three districts.

"Keeping all possibilities in mind, including shifting of ganja by the head load, we have prepared a plan and 10 checkposts will be coming up," he said.

He further added that additional staff and infrastructure will be provided to man the checkpoints.

"This is the time when the ganja farms yield proper ganja plants and the Excise Department has started campaigns from September itself. According to an estimate, around Rs. 2,000 crores worth illegal ganja smuggling was stopped," he added.