Police in Northern Uganda have discovered and destroyed over 10 acres of marijuana at a village in Napak District.

The discovery was made at Alikilek village on Monday, November 11 when police acted on reliable intelligence and conducted a raid.

“The team raided the marijuana gardens at 1000hr, later joined by the Mt. Moroto regional team,” said Napak District Police Commander Wilfred Waigo.

No suspect was arrested during the raid as growers abandoned the area upon the police’s arrival, indicating their illegal cultivation and distribution of the plant to surrounding communities.

“The scale of this operation shows just how determined these cartels are to continue their drug supply,” the police boss added, saying that they are in hot pursuit of the suspects, to bring them to book.

Tons of the illegal plant were loaded onto trucks and transported to Napak Police Station, with plans to burn them publicly.

“We want to show the public that we are serious about eradicating drugs from our communities. Destroying these plants in front of local leaders sends a strong message to those involved in these activities,” Mike Longole, Karamoja Police spokesperson said, as reported by Nile Post.

Authorities are now planning a large scale campaign to weed out marijuana plantations in the area.

“We suspect other villages nearby are also growing marijuana for the cartel,” said Waigo. “We are coordinating with sister forces the UPDF to increase our manpower and resources. With support, we hope to dismantle the entire network.”