Poppy bung over 300 kanals destroyed in south Kashmir

Srinagar May 18 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir police, in its continued war against drug addiction, destroyed poppy bung cultivation of 300 more kanals of land in south Kashmir.

The police have destroyed poppy cultivation of over 1500 kanals of land during the past one week.

The police, along with a team of the Excise Department, conducted raids in different areas of village Panzgam, dogripora and Reshipora in Pulwama district, following a tip off that some villagers had cultivated poppy crops in their field, official sources said.

They said the team destroyed the poppy cultivation on 300 kanals of land and registered a case against the owners of the land.

Poppy crops, over thousands of kanals of land, was destroyed in south Kashmir last year. Police have also arrested a number of smugglers and seized charas and other banned drugs.

Meanwhile, the Excise Department has warned that anyone found cultivating poppy or any other banned crops will have to face the law under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Under the law, anyone found indulging in the banned trade directly or indirectly will have to undergo 10 to 20 years of jail and a fine of Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh, the Department said, adding the crime was a non-bailable offence.

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