Police in Ghoraghat, Dinajpur, have arrested a young man named Abu Taleb and seized two cannabis plants nearly 12 feet tall, on allegations of growing the banned drug by an ingenious method, concealed behind a ginger crop. The special operation was carried out on Sunday night at Sriharibihari village in Bulakipur union of the upazila. Abu Taleb, 27, is the son of the late Abdur Rahim of that village.
The two plants recovered weigh 20kg. Ghoraghat police sources said the operation was carried out on confidential information that drugs were being grown secretly on land adjoining the yard of his own home. A special police team of 10 to 12 members, led by the officer-in-charge Shahidul Islam, took up position at Sriharibihari village late at night. Searching inside the ginger crop beside the yard of Abu Taleb’s house, they recovered the two unusually large plants. Police confirmed that one plant weighed about 12kg and the other about 8kg.
In initial questioning the accused Abu Taleb said he had been tending the plants closely for the past six or seven months behind the ginger crop, for his own use and for sale at local level. He had concealed the illegal activity by taking advantage of the thick leaves of the ginger plants.
Ghoraghat police station’s officer-in-charge Shahidul Islam said a regular case had been filed against Abu Taleb under the narcotics control act on charges of illegally cultivating a banned narcotic. He was produced before the relevant court on Monday morning.
Sarowar, a local union council member for Bulakipur union, expressed deep concern at such dealing under cover of a crop. He said crime of this kind behind agricultural land has created a serious social risk for the whole area. He called for social vigilance in neighbourhoods to be strengthened and legal action to continue, so that nobody can become involved in such activity in future.