The Nkawkaw Police have declared war on illicit drug use and trade as they intensify surveillance and organising swoops every two weeks to tackle the menace.

They say the area has seen an increase in drug-related crimes such as armed robbery, rape and defilement among others in recent times.

The Police Command, following an Mpraeso Circuit Court order on last Friday destroyed 204 bags of Indian Hemp with a street value of GHC142, 800 seized in a raid at Apesika, a small farming community in the Kwahu West Municipality.

The farming community became popular when police seized a large quantity of Indian Hemp from 21 households.

The community then lost its accolade as being a farming community to a marijuana cultivation town as the residents have taken to the cultivation as their source of livelihood.

Photo: Some residents who were arrested for cultivating marijuana

Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah says police will pay attention to the cultivation and production of especially Indian Hemp as the command gather intelligence.

According to him, more farmers are planting the banned substance with Indian hemp being considered an alternative source of livelihood.

“There are a whole lot of people out there who are still engaging in such activities. Most of them pretend to be cassava farmers; some pretend to be tomato farmers and in actual facts, they are all doing this in disguise. If you enter their farms, you will see the Indian Hemp grown within or among other crops," he revealed.

He added that more young adults between the ages of 17 and 22 are involved in the usage of the ban weed.