Man, Son Arrested After Rs 1.5 Crore Cannabis Crop Found In Telangana Farm

Telangana Police have arrested a father and son for allegedly running a large-scale illegal cannabis cultivation operation in a 10-acre cotton field in Nagolkonda village under the Jainoor police station limits.

Police seized 1,245 cannabis plants along with their roots from the farmland. Officials estimated the value of the crop at around Rs 1.50 crore. The operation also led to the recovery of 11 grams of dried cannabis.

According to police, they received information about the illegal cultivation on September 13 and intercepted Ambure Pundalik, 50, during vehicle checks near Patnapur Main Road.

The dried cannabis was allegedly found concealed inside a towel and was seized in the presence of government witnesses.

During the investigation, police found that Pundalik and his son, Ambure Ramesh, were allegedly cultivating cannabis as an intercrop in their cotton field.

An Agricultural Extension Officer, along with government witnesses, accompanied the police during the inspection of the farmland.

"We are focusing on identifying the masterminds behind the cultivation, including the source of the seeds and the marketing channels," Superintendent of Police Nitika Pant said.

Police said the operation took more than 10 hours to count and uproot the plants due to the difficult valley terrain. The plants were subsequently seized and the two accused were arrested.

Asifabad shares borders with Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh and is part of a larger forested and tribal belt with interstate connectivity through National Highway 44.