GANDERBAL, OCT 1: In a preventive crackdown aimed at denying raw material for illicit narcotic use, Lar Police in Ganderbal, in coordination with the Excise Department, conducted a joint drive against the growth of wild cannabis (Bhung) across several areas.
The coordinated operation focused on identifying and destroying naturally growing cannabis plants in vulnerable locations, with joint teams carrying out extensive searches across Lar, Watalbagh, Yanihama, Benahama and Chanthan-Gulabpora.
During the drive, wild Bhung plants found growing in the identified areas were destroyed on the spot, preventing their potential harvesting and diversion for the preparation of illicit narcotic substances.
The operation represents a preventive component of the ongoing anti-drug campaign, with law-enforcement agencies targeting narcotic sources at the grassroots level rather than limiting enforcement to seizures after drugs enter circulation.
Officials said the joint action was aimed at reducing the availability of cannabis plants in the area and preventing their possible use in the illicit drug trade. The coordination between Police and the Excise Department also underscores the importance of a multi-agency approach in tackling the cultivation, growth and supply of narcotic substances.
The drive assumes significance amid continuing efforts to protect vulnerable sections of society, particularly young people, from substance abuse. By eliminating wild cannabis growth from identified locations, the agencies sought to prevent the plants from becoming a readily available source for illicit narcotic preparation.
Ganderbal Police reiterated that such proactive and preventive enforcement measures would continue across the district as part of the broader campaign against narcotic substances.
The police also appealed to residents to cooperate with law-enforcement agencies by reporting the cultivation or growth of cannabis and other suspicious narcotic activity in their localities.
The joint action by Ganderbal Police and the Excise Department reinforces the administration’s preventive focus on disrupting the availability of narcotic raw material and supporting the broader “Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir” campaign.
