Hydro ganja is proving to be a big challenge after Thailand, US made it legal: Fadnavis

“Breaking the drug infrastructure and giving wide publicity to the anti-drug movement by involving school children is a campaign that has been kickstarted in many commissionerates,” said Fadnavis. He said the police are not only arresting drug peddlers but have also made probes into the forward-and-backward links compulsory. “Even last-stage cancer patients are being used (as carriers),” he said.

“It was found that ports in Gujarat and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Maharashtra were used to bring in drugs concealed in cargo consignments. Scanners that can detect concealed drugs have been installed in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Randomised checking of shipments from certain countries, where there is a possibility of drug supply, is being done,” said the CM adding that due to intense action taken by the police, the number of cases being reported are also higher.

Fadnavis reiterated that since drug peddlers secure bail and again resort to similar activities, the state government is amending the laws to book them under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

“Hydro ganja is proving to be a challenge. Thailand and the US have made it legal. So hydro ganja is being pushed into the country through courier services and other routes,” said Fadnavis, highlighting the deportation of alleged drug cartel operator Naveen Jichkar who bought an island in Australia which he used to send hydroponic ganja from Thailand and the US through courier.