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Opium cultivation under "protection" of naxalites

Devesh K. Pandey

New areas are being tilled for poppy in Jharkhand

NEW DELHI: With naxalites taking "control" over new territories in Jharkhand, anti-narcotic agencies have come across evidence indicating that opium cultivation is being taken up in a big way in such areas for supply of raw material to indigenous heroin manufacturers, including those based in Uttar Pradesh.

In the recent past, the agencies have found that new areas are being tilled for opium poppy cultivation at places like Chatra, Pakur, Hazaribagh, Palamu and Latehar in Jharkhand. Not long ago enforcement agencies came across large illicit opium poppy fields in Pakur and Chatra, which were subsequently destroyed. These findings have led the agencies to believe that under the "protection" of naxalites, opium is being cultivated in huge quantities in areas under their influence.

"As the murky business fetches easy and huge sums of money, naxalites too have no problems with it," said an official, adding that there are satellite images available with the enforcement agencies proving that opium poppy fields do exist in the naxal-affected areas. Investigations have revealed that instead of supplying raw opium to heroin manufacturers the growers convert it into morphine, the base material for heroin. "Transporting opium in huge quantities would be a cumbersome process. So, they first convert it into morphine and then smuggle it out," said the official.

There are strong indications that several heroin manufacturers from Uttar Pradesh -- who earlier depended on the opium grown in the State -- have begun procuring morphine originating from these areas. One of the reasons behind such a shift is that the authorities concerned have enforced 40 per cent cut down on the total licit opium production in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Also, enforcement agencies have mounted pressure on farmers possessing licence to grow opium to abstain from illicit cultivation.

These factors have led to a significant decline in the pilferage of opium for heroin manufacturers. In a way, officials feel, this would give a boost to opium production in areas under the influence of naxalites. As a result, heroin manufacturers in Uttar Pradesh who earlier set up labs close to areas producing opium are now exploring "virgin" locations for the purpose as they are procuring the raw material from somewhere else. "Delhi is both the destination and the transit point for the heroin originating from Uttar Pradesh," the official added.

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