Investigations into the illegal opium-growing racket busted in Beed in Maharashtra earlier in February have revealed that the syndicate behind the racket has collected and sold opium worth Rs 12.8 crores with each harvest. Even more shocking is the fact that the accused managed to keep the racket going for four years before the authorities found out.
According to police sources, interrogation of the eight arrested, all of whom are farmers, has revealed that they were approached by a gang from Nanded four years ago.
“The gang offered to provide opium seeds to the farmers, and the farmers’ job was just to cultivate and harvest it. Once the crop was ready, the farmers would contact the masterminds, who would collect the opium poppies and pay the farmers anything between Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs per acre. The opium fields spanned a 40-acre area in Moha and Vanjarwadi villages,” said police inspector, Beed, crime branch, S.L. Munde.
Based on the farmers’ confessions, the police has calculated that around four kg of opium can be derived from each acre of poppies.
The opium would then be sold at Rs 8 lakhs per kg in the international market, which means that the masterminds sold around 160 kg of opium at Rs 12.8 crores each time after the crop was harvested. The police is now trying to trace the masterminds, who are on the run following the raid.