NCB-Led Joint Operation Destroys More Than 1.37 Lakh Kg of Cannabis Plants
A multi-agency operation involving the NCB, security forces and Arunachal Pradesh Police cleared approximately 458 acres of illicit cannabis cultivation in West Kameng district.
ITANAGAR- In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Narcotics Control Bureau ( NCB ), working jointly with central security forces and the Arunachal Pradesh Police, has destroyed illicit cannabis cultivation spread across approximately 458 acres in West Kameng district.
The first phase of the operation was conducted in the Kalaktang subdivision between October 26 and November 3, during which enforcement teams destroyed more than 1.37 lakh kg of cannabis plants, according to an official release.
The operation was led by the NCB’s Itanagar Zonal Unit and involved a coordinated deployment of 118 personnel and workers. The joint teams included members of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Arunachal Pradesh Anti-Narcotics Task Force, West Kameng Police, district administration and other participating agencies.
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According to officials, most of the illicit cannabis cultivation was found on community lands in the rugged terrain of the district. Ground surveys carried out by the West Kameng Police and district administration, supported by satellite imagery provided by the NCB, helped authorities identify and locate the cultivation sites.
The latest operation marks a significant escalation in Arunachal Pradesh’s campaign against illegal narcotics cultivation. The NCB said that the total area cleared of illicit cannabis cultivation across the state so far in 2026 is now more than eight times the area cleared during the entire year of 2025.
Authorities have also identified several locations across Arunachal Pradesh where illicit cannabis and opium poppy cultivation is taking place. Further joint operations are planned as part of the continuing crackdown.
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The upcoming anti-narcotics drives will particularly target areas linked to opium poppy cultivation in Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Namsai, Anjaw, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts.
The operation forms part of the implementation of the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026–2029), which focuses on identifying illicit cultivation hotspots, mapping affected areas and strengthening coordination between central, state and district-level agencies.
The NCB has described the strategy as a “whole-of-government approach”, bringing together law enforcement agencies, security forces and local administrations to identify and destroy illicit narcotics crops.
Similar operations have also been conducted in other parts of the country. Earlier, an NCB-led operation cleared approximately 592 acres of illicit cannabis cultivation in the Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district. In Odisha, the bureau has also supported the state’s ‘Mission Zero Cannabis Cultivation’ initiative, under which around 30 acres of illegal cultivation were cleared in Kandhamal.
The NCB has appealed to members of the public to report information related to illicit narcotics cultivation and drug trafficking. Information can be shared confidentially through the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933.
