GUWAHATI, Feb 13 — The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) in association with the Customs department has decided to launch an operation to destroy the poppy cultivation along the Assam-Arunachal border area. Highly-placed official sources said today that the operation would be launched in the last week of this month covering Upper Siang and Lohit areas. According to a preliminary survey there are 22.27 hectares of poppy cultivation in the area and it would be covered within 10 days, sources added. Giving the rationale behind the operation, they revealed that the CBN and the Customs department had taken the decision in view of growing opium addicts in the region. During the last couple of months, several seijures were made in Assam as well as the other parts of the north eastern states, sources said.
Poppy cultivation has been going on the areas from the British regime, but no concerted efforts have been initiated to create awareness among the people against the bad effects of opium. The people involved in the poppy cultivation are economically poor, for which they cell the produced opium to the neighbouring states to manage their daily life. Sources further stated that though the CBN and the Customs department have been launching operations in the areas for the last couple of years, complete eradication of poppy cultivation has not been possible due to lack of awareness among the people.
“The area is covered with hostile terrain and hence the agencies have sought help from the respective state governments”, sources added. On the growing opium smuggling in the North-east, they expressed the view that as it has a good demand among the people, a huge quantity of opium is brought from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. “To contain the menace, we have geared up operations along the border areas of the region.” In this context, they, however said that opium produced in Siang and Lohit areas is generally consumed in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Asked about the proposed operation in Upper Siang and Lohit, the sources informed that the entire crop area would be burnt down by involving local people.
On increasing opium smuggling in lower Assam, the sources said that Rangiya has become a major transit point as several seizures were made there during the last couple of months. Opium is brought from neighbouring states and then dumped in Rangiya from which it is sent to different destinations,” they added. The sources also informed that in view of growing opium smuggling in the area, vigilance has been stepped up. ‘We have also geared up operations throughout the State to contain the smuggling,” the sources added. Meanwhile, the CBN has already carried out a survey by using remote sensing technique with the help of satellite pictures. The process has been undertaken to detect the exact area of poppy crop in the area.