Indonesian military destroys 3-ha marijuana field in Aceh

Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) destroyed a field of marijuana covering three hectares of land in a hilly area in Gayo Lues, Aceh Province, on Sunday.

"We have demolished a three-hectare field of marijuana. This operation followed a report conveyed by residents to our village supervisory officers," Commander of the 0113/Gayo Lues Military District (Kodim) Command, Lieutenant Colonel Agus Satrio Wibowo, remarked.

In a statement received in Banda Aceh City, Wibowo revealed that his team located the field in Ekan Village, Pining Sub-district, where they discovered five-month-old marijuana plants reaching up to 1.3 meters in height, with a total wet weight of around 8.5 tons.

"The leaves could yield approximately 5,100 kilograms of dried marijuana," he stated. "We destroyed the field by pulling out and burning the leaves," he added.

Wibowo further remarked that this anti-marijuana operation was initiated based on information from locals who were hunting in a nearby forest.

The Gayo Lues Kodim then responded swiftly to the report by coordinating with the local BNN office to deploy a team of joint personnel to locate and destroy the illegal plantation.

"Our team had to traverse steep terrain on foot for around six kilometers to reach the reported site, where marijuana leaves were seen flourishing in an open area," he noted, adding that those responsible for managing the field have yet to be identified.

The TNI officer also stressed the importance of routine patrols, as similar discoveries have occurred repeatedly in the Gayo Lues District.

"Oversight and preventive measures are needed to protect the community from the danger of the abuse and trafficking of narcotics, including marijuana," he concluded.