Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Goa Police has registered two cases in 2025 involving the seizure of live ganja (cannabis) plants from public areas.Chief Minister and Home Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant informed the Legislative Assembly that a total of six suspected cannabis plants were confiscated in January and June 2025.
The seizures were made under the NDPS Act by the Anti-Narcotics Cell and Panaji Police. The live plants have been sent to the Botanical Survey of India in Pune for analysis to determine their botanical identity and origin. The cases are currently under investigation.
To prevent such incidents from recurring, the police have stepped up area surveillance and launched public awareness drives. Dr. Sawant stated that police teams regularly patrol school zones and public spaces to prevent drug cultivation and ensure no narcotic substances make their way into educational institutions. Awareness programs and workshops have been organized in schools to educate students about the harmful effects of drug abuse.
As part of the district-level NCORD (Narco Coordination) initiative, city sanitation workers under the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) are also being trained to identify cannabis plants during their daily duties and report them to the police.
The government, however, clarified that it has not identified any specific “hotspots” for cannabis trafficking within the state so far. But officials maintain that law enforcement responds swiftly whenever credible information is received, registering cases against violators under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act.
