From the Visakhapatnam Agency, there are three main arterial gateways — Narsipatnam, Chodavaram, and KD Peta — to the plain areas.
Most of the ganja consignments that are seized by the police and Excise officials are at the checkpoints on these three routes.
A villager and ganja cultivator, on condition of anonymity, says that each of the three routes has 30 sub-routes. A few pass through dense forest and are not even known to the men in khaki!
What is seized is just a small fraction. At times, the wily smugglers use it as a bait to slip huge quantity through other routes, he says.
According to sources, huge quantity is shipped through the Maredumilli route in East Godavari district, a route, which passes through Maoist-dominated areas and less frequented by the police.
The mode of transport varies from big trucks to mini vans to daily wage labourers carrying the load all the way on their head to road transport points.
According to a senior Excise official, the department is grossly understaffed and it is not possible to monitor all routes, especially the ones that pass through Maoist strongholds.
Narsipatnam station, a key station, has one SHO, two SI, and 12 constables. The actual requirement is at least over 60 personnel.
