Barmer/Balotra, Feb. 24 -- A 43-year-old man has been arrested in Balotra district for allegedly cultivating an illegal poppy crop farm after allegedly learning the process through internet tutorials, police said. Acting on a tip-off, a joint police and anti-narcotics team on Saturday evening raided agricultural land where the accused had concealed poppy plants behind other crops to avoid detection. During the operation, officials said they recovered 2,428 poppy plants from the field. Officials said the accused had carefully planned the cultivation, using online videos and guides to prepare the land, sow the seeds, and tend the crop. The poppy plants were reportedly spread across a large area and camouflaged among vegetables and fodder crops. Police identified the accused as Harjiram, a resident of Maliyon Ka Vas, Dhumbariya (Police Station Bagoda, Jalore district), presently residing in Kankhi village. The seized crop has been assessed to have an international market value of approximately Rs.1.20 crore, according to officials. During the raid, the team found that the accused had cultivated poppy over an area of nearly 2,600 square metres. The illegal crop was cleverly concealed behind a cattle shed within the agricultural enclosure, hidden under the cover of vegetables, lucerne (rijka), bajra, and castor crops. Several plants were found in a mature stage, while many had pods and flowers, indicating advanced cultivation. "The accused had deliberately hidden the poppy cultivation behind other crops using physical barriers to avoid detection. Acting on precise intelligence, the ANTF team conducted a planned operation and recovered 2,428 poppy plants. Such operations against narcotics-related offences will continue with zero tolerance," ATS and ANTF IG Vikas Kumar said. He said that the accused was addicted to doda post for the past nearly 10 years and has multiple criminal cases registered against him related to illegal narcotics trafficking. Police said the accused learned the technique of poppy cultivation through internet-based tutorials and began farming after purchasing land with minimal investment, driven by addiction and profit motives. The ANTF team maintained surveillance by hiding in nearby fields. As soon as the accused arrived to inspect the crop, the team arrested him on the spot. The cultivation was being carried out without any permit, constituting a serious offence under the NDPS Act. The entire crop was seized and destroyed....