Central Bureau of Narcotics destroys 1,032 hectares of illicit cannabis cultivation in Himachal

Shimla, Sep 21: The Central Bureau of Narcotics has destroyed 1,032 hectares of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation in Himachal Pradesh. Finance Ministry said in a release that officers of Central Bureau of Narcotics destroyed the illicit cannabis cultivation in one of the biggest destruction operations conducted over two weeks.

During this operation, two-pronged approach of creating awareness among villagers along with enforcement was adopted. Community mobilisation was adopted by sensitising villagers about adverse effects of drugs on body and mind. Threats that drugs tend to pose to the future of youth and children were explained.

According to ANI, the team recieved specific intelligence about illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation in Himachal, after which teams of officers of Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) were formed and dispatched. Officers of CBN verified the intelligence and further carried out physical surveys resulting in the detection of more areas of illicit cultivation.

Subsequently, the destruction operation was started with the support of the District Administration, Forest Department and the Police, according to an official statement released by the Union Ministry of Finance.

CBN has conducted destruction operation in many states like West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. This has resulted in destruction of more than 25 thousand hectares of illicit cultivation of opium and cannabis over the years.

CBN had also destroyed approximately three thousand 600 hectares of illicit opium in Arunachal Pradesh in February and March this year.