The NCB’s Itanagar unit spearheaded the operation with support from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), state police and district authorities. The coordinated action focused on identifying and destroying illegally cultivated cannabis across the subdivision.
Authorities used satellite imagery and ground surveys to locate the cultivation sites and identify areas requiring action. The use of these methods enabled the teams to cover extensive cultivation areas during the operation.
The 458 acres cleared between October 26 and November 3 represent eight times the area covered in the entire year of 2025, highlighting the scale of this year's enforcement drive.
The operation is aligned with the national Vision Document on Narcotics Control, which focuses on action against illicit narcotics cultivation and related activities.
Observers have described the large-scale destruction as a significant setback for the narcotics trade, which is allegedly being used to fund insurgent activities. The operation is part of broader efforts to target illegal drug cultivation and disrupt the networks associated with it.
Further operations are planned in other districts of Arunachal Pradesh to identify and destroy illicit cultivation. Manipur has also witnessed a similar operation targeting the clearance of illegal poppy cultivation.
The destruction of 458 acres in West Kameng district marks a significant expansion of the state's anti-narcotics enforcement efforts, with authorities continuing operations against illicit cultivation in other areas.
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