Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 5: A series of enforcement operations across North and Middle Andaman has exposed alleged narcotics cultivation, illegal liquor production and suspected wildlife crime, with authorities registering an NDPS case, destroying large quantities of illicit brewing material and initiating legal action under the Wildlife (Protection) Act in separate incidents over the past week.
The latest case emerged from Kadamtala, where police searched a residential property on September 3 and recovered a cultivated cannabis plant weighing approximately 100 grams. One person was arrested, and a case was registered at Kadamtala Police Station under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The investigation is continuing.
According to police, the search operation was conducted by Station House Officer P.R. Shain Nair of Kadamtala Police Station under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Rangat, Mahendra Singh Charan.
In a separate operation targeting the manufacture of illicit liquor, a police team from Outpost Bakultala under Rangat Police Station carried out a jungle search at Kalsi on August 31. During the operation, officers recovered approximately 165 litres of illicit lehan, the fermented raw material used in the production of illegal liquor. The material was destroyed on-site in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Another search on September 3 in the dense forest area of Govindapur resulted in the recovery of approximately 200 litres of illicit lehan. The operation was conducted by personnel from Outpost Badam Nallah under Billiground Police Station. The recovered material was also destroyed at the spot following the prescribed procedure.
In a third case on the same day, a team from Outpost Badam Nallah intercepted a person at Basantipur and recovered approximately seven kilograms of suspected barking deer meat from his possession.
The individual and the seized meat were handed over to the Forest Department for further legal proceedings under the relevant provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
The three incidents, involving alleged narcotics cultivation, illicit liquor production and suspected wildlife offences, occurred at different locations across the district within a span of four days, bringing multiple forms of illegal activity under investigation by different enforcement agencies.
Authorities have appealed to residents to report information related to crime or other unlawful activities through the nearest police station or by calling the emergency helpline numbers 100 or 112. They said the identities of informants would be kept confidential and that suitable rewards would be provided for actionable information.
The NDPS case remains under investigation, while the Forest Department will pursue further action in the suspected wildlife offence in accordance with the applicable law.
