Itanagar, Nov 7 (IANS) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in coordination with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Arunachal Pradesh Police, destroyed illicit cannabis cultivation spread across approximately 458 acres in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The joint operation was conducted in the Kalaktang subdivision of West Kameng in the first phase of the anti-narcotics drive, which took place from October 26 to November 3. During the operation, the teams destroyed more than 1.37 lakh kg of cannabis plants, primarily cultivated on community lands, according to an official press release.
The operation was led by the NCB’s Itanagar Zonal Unit and involved 118 personnel and workers, with participation from the SSB, CRPF, Arunachal Pradesh Anti-Narcotics Task Force, West Kameng Police and the district administration.
Ground surveys conducted by the West Kameng Police and district administration, along with satellite imagery provided by the NCB, helped identify and locate illicit cultivation sites in the district’s rugged terrain.
According to the NCB, the area cleared of illicit cannabis cultivation across Arunachal Pradesh so far in 2026 is more than eight times the total area cleared during the entire year in 2025.
The agency has also identified several locations across the state where illicit cannabis and opium poppy are being cultivated. Further joint operations are planned to target these sites as part of the ongoing crackdown on narcotics cultivation.
The upcoming drives will also focus on opium poppy cultivation areas in Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Namsai, Anjaw, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts.
The operation is part of the implementation of the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026–2029), which calls for mapping illicit cultivation hotspots and coordinating crop destruction activities among central, state and district agencies through a “whole-of-government approach”.
The NCB has also undertaken similar operations in other parts of the country. Earlier, an NCB-led drive cleared approximately 592 acres of illicit cannabis cultivation in the Parvati Valley of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh.
In Odisha, the bureau participated in the launch of the state’s ‘Mission Zero Cannabis Cultivation’ initiative in Kandhamal and Boudh districts. Around 30 acres of illicit cannabis cultivation were cleared in Kandhamal as part of the initiative.
The NCB has urged members of the public to come forward and report cases of illicit cultivation or drug trafficking.
People can share information confidentially through the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at the toll-free number 1933, the release said.
–IANS
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