Excise raids ganja plantation in Moneragala

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

MONERAGALA: Excise officers raided a massive ganja plantation in the thick jungles at Kumbuk Ara, Hathammagala in Moneragala on Wednesday. The plantation was destroyed by setting it on fire.

Excise officers had taken into custody 2,025 Kilogrammes of dried cannabis ready for marketing. The consignment was hidden inside tree huts in the jungle.

The plantation extended to over 28 acres in 18 chena cultivations.

Excise sources said officers had to walk about 20 kilometres through the thick jungle to get to the plantation amidst threats from elephants and snakes. Forty excise officers who participated in the raid, had spent five days in the jungle before their mission was accomplished.

The cultivators had used water pumps to water the ganja cultivation. Fertiliser, pesticides and weedicides had also been used to obtain higher yields.

Excise officers conduct frequent raids in the Moneragala district, notorious for ganja cultivation.

The raid was led by Deputy Excise Commissioner A. Bodaragama and Assistant Excise Commissioner Wasantha Dissanayake under the guidance of Excise Commissioner General Parakrama Bandara Ekanayake.