Rs12.61 crore illegal opiumfarming busted in Buldhana

Buldhana: In what is being claimed to be one of the state's biggest police actions, the Buldhana crime branch of unearthed illegal opium cultivation valued at Rs12.61 crore. The seized opium crop was being clandestinely cultivated on a 12,000 sqft piece of farmland.
Sources said that previous operations primarily targeted farms growing cannabis, the seizure of such a large quantity of opium marks a major police achievement.
Acting on a tip-off, LCB officials raided a farm under Andhera police station jurisdiction where the accused Santosh Sanap was found illegally cultivating opium. The police seized the crop and booked Sanap under Sections 8(c) and 18(c) of the NDPS Act.
The police obtained Sanap's six-day custody from a local court for further interrogation. Crime branch officer Ashok Lande told TOI, "We had requested for Sanap's 10-day remand, but the court granted six days. Our primary objective is to determine how long the accused has been cultivating opium and identify others involved in the illegal operation."
The busting of illegal opium cultivation has put the role of Andhera police station sleuths under cloud and raised questions about police negligence or potential involvement.