Police destroyed more than 10,500 wild Manchurian cannabis plants near the village of Romny in Krasnoarmeysky district, Primorsky Krai, the regional police press service said.[1] The plants grew in seven separate patches in the countryside around Romny, a village in the district.[2] Together the patches covered almost one hectare of land in total.[1] Officers destroyed the cannabis by treating the whole plot with agrochemicals.[1] The eradication formed part of a preventive police operation called Maks-2017.[2]

The drug control department of the Dalnerechensky inter-municipal police division found the plants near the village during the operation.[3] The police said the operation was intended to counter illegal drug trafficking and to protect public health and safety.[3] Samples of the plants were sent to a forensic unit for testing, which confirmed they were cannabis used to make recreational drugs.[3] The regional police said expert analysis showed the plants could have been used to make narcotics.[1]