Nashik: The Ahilyanagar police arrested two farmers from Bandhkhadak village in Jamkhed taluka on Wednedasy after uncovering secret opium cultivation on their farm. Over 22,000 kg of opium, valued at more than Rs 6 lakh, were seized during the operation.Acting on instructions from SP Somnath Gharge, officials from multiple police stations and departments gathered intelligence on illegal activities in the district. API Ujjwalsing Rajput of the Kharda police station led a team that received a tip about the cultivation.“The police team visited Bandhkhadak and confirmed the presence of the prohibited crop. The two farmers were arrested on the spot,” said Gharge. The farmers admitted that the opium had been planted in their onion farm about four months ago.A forensic team from the Karjat Division assisted in the investigation. The farmers were booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and were remanded to police custody until Monday.On the same day, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Ahilyanagar police raided a farm in Chapadgaon village, Karjat taluka, seizing opium plants worth over Rs 47 lakh. A man identified as Parmeshwar Ganvat was also arrested.
