Police raid Opium poppy field in Kutch; 3 detained

Based on confidential information, the Cybercrime Cell of the Border Range Police raided the farm in Bhimasar village on Wednesday morning. The village lies just 26 km east of Rapar town, which is its taluka headquarters. It lies 119 km east of the major city of Gandhidham, and just 12 km west of Adesar police station under whose jurisdiction the village falls.

Inspector L P Bodani said, “There are thousands of plants. We have harvested the field, and are still counting, bundling and packing the plants which weigh several tonnes. We expect it to value approximately Rs7 crore. There are three accused persons who have been detained from the spot.”

While the Government of India does permit legal farming of opium plants, this permission is given only to farmers in three states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

According to details from the website of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) under the Department of Revenue of the Union Finance Ministry, “Licit cultivation is carried out in India in selected tracts notified by the Central Government annually in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Licences are issued by the CBN to eligible cultivators in the above three States as per the General Conditions relating to the Grant of Licence framed by the Central Government.”

Opium poppy cultivation is prohibited in India under Section 8 of NDPS Act, 1985, except under a license issued by the Central Bureau of Narcotics under Rule 8 of NDPS Rules, 1985. As a signatory to the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 and as a licit producer of opium, India is required to adhere to the regulations under the convention.