Police said they received a tip on September 13 and, during a vehicle check near Patnapur Main Road, stopped 50‑year‑old Ambure Pundalik. He was taken to a 10‑acre cotton field in Nagolkonda village, where officers uncovered 1,245 cannabis plants and 11 grams of dried cannabis hidden in a towel.
The operation, which lasted more than ten hours because of the valley’s uneven terrain, was overseen by Superintendent of Police Nitika Pant, who said the investigation will now probe seed suppliers and distribution networks.
An Agricultural Extension Officer and government witnesses assisted the police during the inspection, confirming that the plants were grown as an intercrop alongside cotton. Pundalik and Ramesh had allegedly cultivated the cannabis covertly, according to the officers.
Nagolkonda village falls under the jurisdiction of the Jainoor police station in the Asifabad subdivision, a region that borders Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh and is known for its forested tribal belt and connectivity via National Highway 44.
Investigators are now tracing the supply chain, with the police planning to file charges under the Narcotics Control Act and seek a court ruling on the seizure.