CHARSADDA, Feb 4: Police on Friday destroyed poppy crops cultivated over vast tracts of land in the Palay area. District Police Officer Dr Fasihuddin Ashraf supervised the operation, while Tangi tehsil naib nazim Hayat Gul and other notables of the area were present on the occasion.

Talking to media persons, the DPO said that the operation would continue till the banned crop was totally destroyed in the area. The police had initiated pre-emptive measures to stop growers from cultivating poppy in the district, he said.

In the first phase of the operation, he said, the police held meetings with the people and elected representatives of the area to persuade farmers not to grow the crop. In the second phase, farmers were asked to destroy the crop. “We are happy that due to the timely efforts, the operation is successful and all growers voluntarily destroyed their crop,” he said.