Jharkhand police destroy over 4,600 acres of illegal opium farms

Jharkhand state police reported the destruction of 4,619.34 acres of illegal opium cultivation during the 2025‑26 financial year. Seventy‑seven cases were registered and forty‑eight suspects arrested. The largest seizure occurred in Chatra district, where 2,742.22 acres were eradicated, followed by substantial busts in Latehar (832.14 acres), Hazaribagh (393 acres), Palamu (314.62 acres) and Khunti (215.71 acres). Smaller operations were dismantled in West Singhbhum, Ranchi, Seraikela‑Kharsawan, Simdega, Lohardaga, Koderma and Deoghar, and two illegal cannabis plantations were also destroyed in Latehar.

The crackdown represents a sharp decline from the previous fiscal year, when 27,015.03 acres of opium were identified. In 2024‑25, authorities had logged 313 cases and arrested 237 people. The CID noted that opium cultivation remains concentrated in the same districts, but the current effort has reduced the cultivated area by roughly 22,400 acres in one year.