The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), acting in coordination with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Arunachal Pradesh Police, has destroyed illicit cannabis cultivation spread across approximately 458 acres in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The joint operation eliminated more than 1.37 lakh kg of cannabis plants, primarily grown on community lands, in what officials describe as a significant escalation of the state's anti-narcotics campaign.

Operation Details and Scale

The drive was conducted in the Kalaktang subdivision of West Kameng between 26 October and 3 November 2026, forming the first phase of an ongoing anti-narcotics push. The operation was led by the NCB's Itanagar Zonal Unit and deployed 118 personnel and workers, with active participation from the SSB, CRPF, Arunachal Pradesh Anti-Narcotics Task Force, West Kameng Police, and the district administration.

Ground surveys carried out by the West Kameng Police and district administration, supplemented by satellite imagery provided by the NCB, were instrumental in locating illicit cultivation sites across the district's rugged terrain. The use of remote sensing technology reflects a shift toward data-driven enforcement in difficult geographies.

A Dramatic Year-on-Year Surge in Clearances

According to the NCB, the total area cleared of illicit cannabis cultivation across Arunachal Pradesh in 2026 now stands at more than eight times the area cleared during the entirety of 2025. This sharp jump signals a marked intensification in enforcement activity under the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026–2029), which mandates mapping of illicit cultivation hotspots and coordinated crop destruction through a 'whole-of-government approach' involving central, state, and district agencies.

Notably, the NCB has identified several additional locations across Arunachal Pradesh where both illicit cannabis and opium poppy are being cultivated. Upcoming operations are planned to target sites in Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Namsai, Anjaw, Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts.

Part of a Nationwide Crackdown

The Arunachal Pradesh operation is not an isolated effort. The NCB has simultaneously led drives in other narcotics-affected regions. An earlier operation cleared approximately 592 acres of illicit cannabis cultivation in the Parvati Valley of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh. In Odisha, the bureau participated in the launch of 'Mission Zero Cannabis Cultivation' in Kandhamal and Boudh districts, with around 30 acres cleared in Kandhamal as part of the initiative. This comes amid growing concern at the Centre over illicit cultivation networks in remote tribal and forested areas, which enforcement agencies say are increasingly linked to inter-state trafficking routes.

Public Reporting and the MANAS Helpline

The NCB has urged citizens to report illicit cultivation or drug trafficking activity. Information can be shared confidentially through the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at the toll-free number 1933. The bureau says community participation is central to its long-term eradication strategy, particularly in areas where cultivators operate on community or forest lands that are difficult to monitor through conventional policing alone.

Further joint operations across the state are expected to follow in the coming weeks as the NCB's phased enforcement calendar under the 2026–2029 Vision Document continues to roll out.