In a unique initiative, Panchmahal police in Gujarat have employed Artificial Intelligence (AI) and against ganja cultivation in the region.
In just over a month, Dahod Police have confiscated plants valued at Rs 1.2 crore across Devgarh Baria, Jhalod Taluka, and Limkheda. Seven individuals, including two minors, have been arrested in the process.
The operation was taken up under the initiative of DIG Ranjendra Asari, who had received a tip-off about extensive ganja farming in Dahod region. SP Rajdeepsinh Zala of Dahod said leveraging technology in this manner was a first for the area and it had been largely instrumental in the raids’ success.
“We fed pictures of ganja plants into the AI system and then deployed drones to survey suspected areas,” he added.
Equipped with powerful 28X zoom cameras, the drones captured aerial images of the fields below. The AI system successfully identified ganja fields. With this precise information, targeted raids were conducted on the identified locations and ganja plants were discovered cleverly concealed amidst cotton plantations.
Detecting the crops manually proved challenging, as ganja is typically intercropped with cotton, deceiving the naked eye. “Aerial surveillance grants us a vantage point beyond the usual scope, helping to identify ganja farms,” added Zala.
The police have successfully dismantled the extensive network responsible for farming ganja and distributing it to various parts of the state, as well as other states.
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