By: SHEKHAR SINGH

Cannabis or ganja, 'babaji ki booti' or 'maal' (what peddlers call it) has spread its roots across the national capital, which is evident as it is being openly sold at some places across the city.

Easily available at various hotspots, which include JJ clusters and parks, at prices ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000, anyone can get ganja in the quantities that they require.

An IANS team visited several places across the city, including JJ clusters, and found that these drugs and illicit liquor are sold openly in these colonies without any fear of authorities.

The team first visited the JJ cluster built on both sides of the railway lines near Jal Vihar area in Lajpat Nagar. The team asked about the 'maal' from one of the men sitting outside one of the shanties, who then said to go to the third alley and ask for 'Anna'.

The team then reached the third alley and after entering it just left, and the second single room shanty was Anna's 'office', where he was sitting on a chair watching a movie on TV. The correspondent asked him about the cannabis to which he said you can buy Rs 100, 500, and Rs 1,000 packets from here.

He kept the cannabis rolled in newspapers and all the rooms were filled with those packets. He calls it his 'office'.

The team then visited the JJ cluster in Chattarpur near a 100 ft road where narrow lanes led to a woman who was sitting on a cot and used to openly sell ganja and illicit liquor. The ganja is sold in packets starting from Rs 100 per pack whereas the alcohol quarter is sold for Rs 50.

"We don't have any other business to do. This is easy earning and once a buyer is here, he will come again to buy the stuff," said the woman on anonymity, adding that most of the people who come to buy drugs are youngsters.

She also said that whenever there is a shortage of ganja, other peddlers in the area specifically reduce the quantity and sell drugs by mixing 'Avil' tablets and other chemicals. "The salt is available easily. Some peddlers mix this salt so that the drug can leave a positive effect on buyers that the quality is good, but I don't sell that way," she said.

The team then visited Neb Sarai, Freedom Fighter Colony, gate no-4, where the correspondent spoke to people who pointed out a general store that sells these drugs. Posing as a buyer, the correspondent asked the shop owner to give them a packet of ganja. The shopkeeper pointed towards a street near his shop and asked to wait there.

As the peddler returned, he asked what would we like to buy - ganja or heroin, adding: "Heroin would cost you Rs 300 for 1 gram and a small packet of ganja would cost Rs 100 while a quarter of illicit liquor is sold for Rs 100."

Madan Giri, Subhash Nagar, RK Puram, INA, Khirki Extension, Malviya Nagar, Munirka, and JJ clusters in Jahangirpuri, Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, and Rohini are also the hotspots for drug peddlers and distributors.

Most peddlers and distributors also operate in areas close to North Campus such as Majnu Ka Tila, Kashmere Gate, Indra Vikas opposite Nirankari colony, and Shastri Park.

According to a senior police official, interrogation reports of the arrested men indicate that a majority of the drug users are school and college students, apart from criminals, who are into smack and other cheap stuff.

"Most of the robbers and snatchers caught by Delhi Police are addicted to drugs and are youngsters. Just to fulfill the need for drugs, these youngsters commit crimes. They stole items and sold them at throwaway

rates to people" said the senior police official.

On December 5, Delhi Police said that they have arrested two drug peddlers and recovered over 100 kgs of cannabis from their possession. On interrogation of the accused, it was revealed that the said consignment was procured from Tripura, a North East state.

"The accused used to procure consignment from Tripura for Rs 5,000-6,000 per kg and supplied it for Rs 10,000-12,000 per kg in Delhi and its peripherals," said the official.

On December 12, with the arrest of three people, the Delhi Police claimed to have busted an interstate drug syndicate involved in supplying narcotics contrabands in Delhi and its peripherals. A total of 22.400 kg of cannabis was recovered from them.

The accused were identified as Veer Singh, a resident of Bharatpur in Rajasthan; Rajendra and Rajkumar- both residents of Bhim Basti in South Delhi.

"Rajkumar after getting influenced by one of the drug peddlers active in South Delhi along with his brother-in-law of Veer did drug peddling from Orissa and Andhra Pradesh," said the official.

On September 8, the South Delhi Police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 259.607 kg of ganja from their possession. The accused said that they were handed over ganja in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) to supply in the NCR.

"They disclosed that farming of cannabis is being conducted in remote areas of Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh. From there, it was transported by road to Vijaynagaram in a mini truck. At Vijaynagaram, it was packed in black colored keyboards, so that the consignment cannot be detected by scanners installed at railway stations. Then, it was taken to the Hyderabad Railway Station to be parcelled to Delhi by train. Thus it reached Delhi and was being supplied in different areas by road in a private vehicle," said the police official.

In March this year, an interstate drug peddler was nabbed with 109.7 kg ganja worth Rs 1.02 crore packed in 51 small cartoons in a vehicle that was intercepted by the police near Mahipalpur in South Delhi. (KB/IANS)