In one of the largest demolition operations carried out in 2 weeks in Himachal Pradesh, officers of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) destroyed 1,032 hectares (12,900 bighas) of illegal cannabis (ganja) cultivation. After receiving specific information about illegal cultivation of hemp (ganja) in Himachal Pradesh, teams of CBN officers were formed and dispatched. CBN officers verified the intelligence and further conducted physical surveys which resulted in the discovery of multiple areas of illegal cultivation. Subsequently, a liquidation action was launched with the support of the district office, the forestry department and the police. During this operation, CBN officers adopted a two-pronged approach of creating awareness among the villagers along with enforcement.
Community mobilization was adopted by sensitizing the villagers about the adverse effects of drugs on body and mind. The threats that drugs usually pose to the future of youth and children have been explained. The relevant penal provisions of the NDPS Act were also explained to the Village Pradhans and members, as a result of which resolutions were passed by the villagers to destroy the illegal hemp plantations around the villages. The villagers assisted the CBN officers to destroy the illegal cultivation by actively participating in the exercise under the supervision of the CBN officers.
4 teams of CBN officers were simultaneously assigned different areas of operation and were given the flexibility to work together in certain areas with extensive illegal cannabis cultivation. Officials from forest, finance and police departments also accompanied the teams during the operations keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the operation. It is noteworthy to mention that since this is the season of apple and pomegranate harvest, manpower availability was a problem but it could not deter the determination and determination of the CBN teams who swung into action and carried out devastating operations in hostile terrain with steep slopes and rains.
Officers climbed up to 11,000 feet above sea level daily and even camped in sensitive areas to expedite the crackdown on illegal cannabis cultivation. Later, officers from DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) also joined this operation. GPS coordinates were used to mark/mark sensitive locations and DRONES were used to detect and monitor illegal cannabis (ganja) growing areas, resulting in greater success of the entire operation.
“The Crackdown mission will continue with equal vigor in other parts of the country and CBN is fully committed against the drug menace,” said Shri Rajesh F Dhabre, Narcotics Commissioner, Central Narcotics Bureau. Active support in terms of logistics and manpower was provided by the Office of the District during the entire period of operation. Collector, CCF and SP Kullu and DRI.
The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) is the Apex Drug Law Enforcement Agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, tasked with identifying and destroying illegal cultivation of cannabis and opium, among other duties.CBN has carried out devastation in many states like West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, etc. resulting in the destruction of more than 25,000 hectares of illegal opium and hemp cultivation over the years. The CBN also destroyed around 3,600 hectares of illicit opium in Arunachal Pradesh in February and March this year. CBN intends to continue such operations to destroy illegal cultivation across India in the future as well.
