Shivamogga Police have launched a drive against the consumption and peddling of ganja in the district. The officers have appealed to the public to inform the police whenever they notice anyone consuming ganja.
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G.K. Mithun Kumar, SP of Shivamogga, said on Sunday (June 23) that if any of the parents notice their children consuming drugs, they could call the police officers, including him, directly. “Even if they have an iota of doubt about children consuming drugs, they can inform us. We will check, inquire, and take proper action. Earlier, there was a case where the father himself informed the police about his son consuming ganja,” the officer said.
15 kg of ganja seized
Since June 8, the SP said, the district police have been conducting a special drive against ganja peddling and ganja consumption. Within 15 days, 61 cases had been booked in the district under the NDPS Act, besides seizing over 15 kg of ganja worth over ₹5.5 lakh. Of the total cases, 54 were related to ganja consumption, and the remaining were related to peddling.
Besides that, the police have been conducting tests to detect the consumption of contraband. In the last 15 days, 450 tests were conducted, and of those, 54 proved positive. “We have testing kits in McGann Hospital in Shivamogga and all taluk headquarters. The officers of the Health and Family Welfare Department have been cooperating with the police in conducting the tests. In a majority of cases, the ganja is sourced from Bengaluru,” he said.
The SP said the police had been conducting awareness programmes in colleges against drug abuse. “We are targeting students of PUC and degree colleges,” he said.