DLP Report
PESHAWAR
In a major crackdown against narcotics cultivation, the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, in coordination with district administrations and law enforcement agencies, destroyed extensive poppy fields in Mohmand and Swabi districts, officials said on Thursday.
The operations, conducted under the zero-tolerance policy of Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, aimed to curb illegal cultivation and ensure a drug-free Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In Tehsil Ambar, district Mohmand, 37 acres of illicit poppy crop were destroyed on the spot. The operation involved the Excise and Taxation Officer Mohmand, Excise Police Station Peshawar Region, local administration, police, and other departmental personnel.
Similarly, in the Bir Gali area of Swabi, teams from the Excise Department, local administration, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and other agencies destroyed large areas of illegally cultivated poppy crop after verifying their presence in accordance with legal procedures.
Provincial Minister for Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Syed Fakhar Jehan said the provincial government would continue its strict zero-tolerance policy against narcotics.
“No space will be allowed for drugs anywhere in the province, whether involving dealers, smugglers, or cultivators. Field-level operations will continue without interruption,” he said.
The minister added that strict and indiscriminate action would be taken against mafias involved in cultivation, production, and trafficking of narcotics, and that operations would be further intensified to eliminate the menace.
Officials participating in the Mohmand operation included Sajjad Khan, Excise and Taxation Officer; Saifullah Afridi, Circle Officer; and Imad Khan, SHO Excise Police Station, Peshawar Region.
In Swabi, participants included Assistant Commissioner Topi Dr Yasmin Sana, Shakeel Khan, Excise and Taxation Officer, and officers from the ANF and Excise Department.
