Indonesia burns marijuana plantation that was discovered by drones
Published:Wednesday | August 16, 2023 | 3:14 PM
TEUPIN REUSEUP, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on Wednesday burned a marijuana plantation in the northern province of Aceh after it was discovered by drones.
A joint team of the National Narcotic Agency, known as BNN, and the National Research and Innovation Agency using drones detected 4.5 hectares (11 acres) of land with an estimated 21,100 cannabis plants ready for harvest, said Wayan Sugiri, the deputy for eradication at BNN.
The aerial operation was conducted from August 3 to 13 in Teupin Reuseup village in North Aceh district.
More than 150 officers from the police, customs and BNN were deployed to uproot the 20 tonnes of marijuana for burning Wednesday, Sugiri said.
“This is a form of the government's firmness against illegal drugs and their circulation,” Sugiri said.
The burning was the fifth this year, he said.
In March, authorities burned 43 hectares (106 acres) with an estimated 190,000 marijuana plants.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, adamantly prohibits the consumption of marijuana, even for medical treatment.
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