Ganja plantation detected in Unakande forest

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

The Unakande State forest reservation is located about six miles from the Arabekema junction at Thanamalwila in the deep south. A rugged terrain inhabited with wild elephants, wild boar and buffalo. Vast swaths of the dense forest is controlled by men who cultivate illicit Cannabis Sativa (Ganja). These nebulous men live in huts in the thick jungle for several months to grow ganja. They sow ganja seeds in the rich fertile soil and harvest them later. These men take every precaution to avoid confrontation with law enforcement authorities. Last week DIG Staff, D.A. De Fonseka who oversees the Central Anti Vice Striking Force (CAVSF) operation was tipped off about a ganja plantation located in the Unakande State reservation. When the matter was brought to the notice of IGP Jayantha Wickremaratna he directed the DIG Staff and Director, CAVSF, Superintendent of Police to investigate the matter in keeping with the `Mathata Thitha' policy. However by deploying agents at Hambegamuwa, CAVSF sleuths were able to check the veracity of the information. In less than three weeks, the sleuths gathered valuable information on suspects involved in the ganja cultivation in the State reservation. They learnt the ring leader was a wealthy landed proprietor from Embilipitiya who amassed wealth over the years by cultivating ganja.The sleuths were informed that ganja growers had taken adequate supplies such as spices, rice, equipment into the jungle as they had to wait for several months there until it is harvested. The ganja plants are usually harvested before the monsoon season begins. The agents also knew that uprooted ganja plants were cut and packed to be despatched to Colombo while some were being dried on top of rocks.

Following the revelation, Director CAVSF, Superintendent of Police D.R.L Ranaweera detailed, OIC CAVSF, Inspector Duminda Balasooriya and his men to carry out a raid on the Unakande State reservation to arrest the suspects and to destroy the ganja plantation. On June 1st just past midnight a party led by Inspector Duminda Balasooriya and several CAVSF men left to Hambegamuwa in a vehicle. Their mission was to destroy ganja chenas and to apprehend the suspects. The police party arrived at the Unakande forest reservation in the wee hours of the morning.

They knew through experience that ganja growers flee when they hear vehicles approaching their territory. To prevent such a thing happening they travelled six kilometres into the jungle in the vehicle and thereafter proceeded on foot in direction of the ganja plantations. After trudging for several kilometres into the thick jungle terrain, the CAVSF sleuths finally approached the ganja plantation. "On edging towards the plantation we saw fully grown ganja trees 6-8 feet tall in a two-acre estate. The jungle area had been planted with quality ganja plants worth more than Rs. 4 million.

In the meantime the ring leader of the ganja plantation was arrested inside a hut with 3.5 kilograms of dried ganja in his possession. On questioning the suspect, they learnt that he made a profit of Rs. 8 lakhs last month by despatching a consignment of ganja to Colombo. We also arrested two young men tending ganja plants at a nursery. There were 5750 ganja plants in it," a CAVSF source said. While combing the area the sleuths also found 18,650 ganja plants in a nursery at Hambegamuwa and Arabegama areas. The saplings were to be planted in a cleared jungle area of ten acres when the monsoon begins. "There is a surge in ganja detection during the past few months," CAVSF sources said.

The total amount of the ganja plantation is worth more than Rs. 6 million and 24,400 ganja plants were uprooted to be produced in courts. Meanwhile 20,000 ganja plants have been destroyed by setting them on fire," sources said.