Police Find 25 Thousand Cannabis Tree Batangs On The Slope Of Mount Semeru, Spread In 22 Locations

Joint officers conducted a sweep to look for marijuana plants on the slopes of Mount Semeru, Friday (20/8/2024). (ANTARA/HO-Polres Lumajang)

JAKARTA - Head of Operations Section (Kabag) of the Lumajang Police, Kompol Jauhar Ma'arif, said the number of cannabis plants found on the slopes of Mount Semeru in Lumajang Regency, East Java continued to grow to 25 thousand sticks.

"The joint team managed to rediscover the cannabis land, bringing the total to 25 thousand sticks spread across 22 different locations," he said when contacted by telephone in Lumajang, Sunday.

The discovery adds to the length of the list of cannabis plants in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) area in recent days.

"We found as many as 25 thousand marijuana trees at 22 different points and transported using around 63 sacks," he said, quoted by Antara.

According to him, joint officers continue to conduct sweeps to find cannabis plants, although the area of planting and terrain to the location is rather difficult to reach, so the search process is somewhat hampered.

"The team was forced to be divided into several groups to search the entire area effectively, so that it could reach points that may be planted with cannabis plants," he said.

He explained that the cannabis plants were scattered at various points quite far apart, so joint officers had to carry out intensive searches in each location.

Officers also found dried marijuana which is thought to be the harvest remains of the perpetrators, but the number is far less than the previous findings indicating a special drying location for cannabis plants.

All the evidence that the officers managed to secure has been taken to the Lumajang Police Headquarters for further investigation and operation to eradicate narcotics plants in the area will continue to be carried out until there are no remaining marijuana fields.

"The police will also continue the sweeping process until it is confirmed that there are no remaining cannabis plants on the slopes of Mount Semeru in Argosari Village," he said.

Previously, officers found 472 marijuana trees on Wednesday (18/9), then the sweeping was carried out again and officers found about 10 thousand cannabis plants and 10 kilograms of dried marijuana ready for distribution.