Ministry of Home Affairs deploys drones to destroy hidden marijuana plantations

The Ministry of Home Affairs along with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will investigate illegal plantations of marijuana plantations and destroy them deploying drones before the plants are harvested. The ministry is to use the help of satellites to detect the crops.

Highlights

India is currently on the steps of modus operandi adopted by the US to deal with marijuana plantations. US uses airplanes and drones to detect illegal plantations of marijuana. In 2018, India seized 414 tons of marijuana plants in more than 24,000 cases filed. According to NCB, the figure is expected to rise up.

The satellite data is to be collected by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau.

Marijuana Smuggling

The smuggling of Marijuana is predominant in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal. Haryana and Rajasthan. Among these states, large scale smuggling of marijuana occurs from Tuticorin port in Tamil Nadu to Maldives.

Legislation

Government of India allows legal plantation of Section marijuana under Section 10 of Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. GoI allows the use of marijuana in medicines like homeopathy and Ayurveda. Also, under Section 20 of the act says that illegal cultivation of the plant is an offence.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2019