DID Press: Officials in Pakistan’s Balochistan province are turning to drone technology to identify and destroy poppy fields as part of efforts to curb narcotics production in the border region shared with Iran and Afghanistan.
With poppy cultivation expanding across parts of Balochistan, authorities say new technological tools are needed to counter the trend.
The provincial administration announced that drones will now be used to detect poppy plantations. So far, around 1,500 hectares of poppy fields have been destroyed—an amount officials say marks a significant increase compared to last year.
Despite ongoing efforts by the Anti-Narcotics Police, customs authorities, and other agencies involved in eradication campaigns, poppy cultivation continues to appear along the border belt with Afghanistan and Iran.