Crores worth Opium found hidden under maize fields in Durg

Durg | Correspondent: A sensational case has emerged from Chhattisgarh's Durg district, where police have busted a large-scale illegal opium cultivation operation on the border of Samoda and Jhinjhari villages, which fall under the Jeevra Sirsa outpost. The raid, conducted on March 6th based on accurate information from an informant, has sent shockwaves through the administrative department.

The accused had cunningly planted a tall maize crop on approximately 9 acres of land, under the cover of which opium was being grown on approximately one and a half to two acres. According to initial estimates, the seized opium is valued at crores of rupees in the international market.

The case has now taken a political turn. Village Sarpanch Arun Gautam has directly accused Vinayak Tamrakar, president of the BJP Kisan Morcha, and his family of being involved in this illegal trade.

The Sarpanch claims that the land belongs to the Tamrakar family and that they themselves used to cultivate it. On the other hand, BJP leader Vinayak Tamrakar completely rejected these allegations, stating that the land was leased and he had no knowledge of what was being grown there.

He expressed suspicion that outsiders may have secretly carried out this operation.

Durg Collector Abhijeet Singh and ASP Manishanker Chandra, who visited the site for a thorough inspection, confirmed that evidence of opium cultivation was found. The operation, which was halted on Friday due to darkness, resumed on Saturday in the presence of a magistrate and experts from Raipur.

The police have called in revenue department officials and initiated an investigation into the land's demarcation and actual ownership. Currently, some suspects have been detained and are being interrogated. The police say that only after examining the documents and sampling reports will the entire network be exposed.