In one of the largest crackdowns on illicit drug cultivation in the region this year, a joint multi-agency team has cleared nearly 458 acres of illegal cannabis plantations in the Kalaktang subdivision of West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh.
The operation was the first phase of an intensive eradication drive carried out from October 26 to November 3, 2026. Over these nine days, more than 1.37 lakh kg of cannabis plants were destroyed. Most of the cultivation was found on community lands.
The scale of the haul shows how deep the illegal crop had spread across the subdivision. The drive sends a clear message that the authorities are determined to uproot the narcotics supply chain at its very source.
Inter-agency coordination in focus at Guwahati
Even as the ground operation in Arunachal Pradesh made headlines, the 3rd Quarterly State-Level Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) Meeting for Assam was held at Police Headquarters, Guwahati. The aim was to strengthen coordination among agencies and step up collective efforts against emerging narcotics threats.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Director General (DDG) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), North Eastern Region. It saw active participation from a wide cross-section of central and state agencies, including:
- National Investigation Agency (NIA)
- Enforcement Directorate (ED)
- Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)
- Border Security Force (BSF)
- Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
- Railway Protection Force (RPF)
- Customs and Income Tax departments
- Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB)
- State Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF)
Superintendents of Police from 13 sensitive districts of Assam also took part.
Network-centric approach
Discussions centred on Assam’s narcotics scenario, emerging trafficking routes, operational challenges and significant cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Officials stressed a network-centric approach, which means going beyond individual seizures and arrests to dismantle entire drug trafficking networks, from financiers and kingpins to carriers and distributors.
The meeting also deliberated on making effective use of the NIDAN Portal, NATGRID and inputs from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for developing intelligence and strengthening investigations.
Operation Trident highlighted
Among the achievements highlighted was Operation Trident, a joint operation by the NCB, the ED and Mizoram Police. It involved 38 teams conducting simultaneous searches at 38 locations across three North-Eastern states. The operation was cited as a model of coordinated, multi-agency enforcement.
District-level challenges
Superintendents of Police from various districts shared district-specific narcotics trends and the enforcement challenges they face on the ground.
The meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment of all agencies to seamless intelligence sharing, coordinated enforcement, financial investigations and the dismantling of organised drug trafficking networks in Assam, in furtherance of the vision of a Nasha Mukt Bharat (Drug-Free India).
