The Union Finance Ministry in a statement on Tuesday said that the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) destroyed over 1,032 hectares of illicit cannabis (ganja) production in Himachal Pradesh (HP) in one of the state's largest anti-drug operations. The procedure was carried out over the course of two weeks.
CBN teams were constituted and dispatched after getting relevant intelligence concerning illicit cannabis (ganja) growing in Himachal Pradesh. The officers validated the information and conducted physical surveys, resulting in the discovery of more locations of unlawful cultivation.
According to an official statement made by the Union Ministry of Finance, the demolition operation was then launched with the assistance of the District Administration, Forest Department, and Police officials.
During this operation, officials from the Central Bureau of Narcotics adopted two strategies: promoting awareness among villagers and executing the law.
Community mobilisation was used to educate villages about the harmful effects of drugs on the body and psyche. The dangers that drugs represent to the future of teenagers and children were discussed.
The relevant punitive sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) legislation were also discussed with the Village Pradhans and members, and as a result, villagers approved the resolutions to eradicate illegal cannabis farms surrounding the villages.
Villagers joined the CBN agents in destroying illegal cultivation by actively participating in an exercise overseen by the officers. Four teams of CBN officers were assigned to separate areas of operation and given the freedom to simultaneously operate together in regions with substantial amounts of illicit cannabis growing.
Because of the sensitive nature of the operation, officials from the Forest Department, Revenue Department, and Police Department also accompanied the teams during operations.
GPS coordinates were used to tag sensitive locations, and drones were employed to locate and monitor illicit cannabis (ganja) production areas, resulting in a more successful overall operation.
"Mission Crackdown shall continue with same vigour in other parts of the country and CBN is fully committed against the Drug Menace," said Rajesh F Dhabre, Narcotics Commissioner, Central Bureau of Narcotics.
The Office of the District Collector, CCF and SP Kullu, and DRI gave active logistical and administrative assistance throughout the operation.
(With inputs from agency)
First Published: Sept 20, 2022 11:22 PM IST
