Poppy crop destroyed in Swabi

PESHAWAR: In an effort to free Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from drugs, the officials from Excise and Narcotics Control destroyed the poppy crop in mountainous areas of Swabi.

An official handout said that the joint operation of the Excise Department and district police was launched in Swabi on the directives of the provincial government and the chief secretary. This operation was carried out under the supervision of Director Narcotics Control Excise Dr Eid Badshah and Excise Taxation Officer Narcotics Control Zahid Iqbal Khan.

The joint team comprising the Narcotics Control Wing of the Excise Department and the district police destroyed the standing poppy (opium) crop on about 150 kanals of land that was cultivated in different patches of the mountain beds. Circle Officer Mardan Region Syed Naveed Jamal, SHO Police Station Excise Mardan Region Muhammad Riaz, Police Station Excise Peshawar Region, Excise Intelligence Bureau, DSP Roshan Zeb Khan, SHO Police Station Industrial Estate Swabi Liaquat Shah Khan actively participated in the operation.

The Excise and district police personnel took part in the operation and destroyed the poppy crop in the most difficult hilly valleys. The operation was carried out in Mangalchai, Darorai and Chennai hills in Gadoon. Meanwhile, some people staged a protest against the operation, which was launched to destroy the opium cultivation, and blocked a road.