Palakkad: In a rare forest operation, Kerala Police have uprooted and destroyed what is believed to be the state’s largest illegal ganja plantation, hidden deep in the forests of Attappadi, Palakkad.

The operation, conducted on Wednesday, brought together officers from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the district anti-narcotics unit, and Pudur Police. Teams trekked nearly five hours through dense forest to reach the plantation at the foothills of Sathyakkallumala.

Officials found around 10,000 ganja plants, each approximately three months old, spread across roughly 60 cents of land. The plants were uprooted and destroyed on the spot.

What led to the raid?

The raid followed information received by Kerala ATS DIG Putta Vimaladitya IPS about large-scale commercial ganja cultivation in the tribal belt of Attappadi. He alerted Palakkad district police chief Ajith Kumar IPS, who coordinated the operation.

“This was one of the biggest ganja cultivation raids ever conducted by Kerala Police,” an officer said, adding that investigations are ongoing to trace those behind the plantation and their possible links to illegal trade networks.

Kerala Police shared a video of the destruction on its official social media handle, giving the public a glimpse of the scale of the operation.