Imphal : In a major boost to Manipur’s ongoing anti-narcotics drive, Central and state security forces have destroyed over 306 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in the state’s hill district of Kangpokpi within a span of six days, officials said on Saturday.

The joint operations were conducted between January 12 and January 17 by teams comprising the Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Manipur Police, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the state Forest Department. Acting on intelligence inputs, the forces targeted remote and rugged locations where poppy cultivation had been taking place on government and forest land.

A senior police official said the joint teams also demolished 43 temporary huts erected by poppy cultivators at the sites. Several spray pumps, pipes, chemical salts and pesticides used for cultivation were seized and destroyed during the operations.

According to officials, the destroyed poppy fields had the potential to yield more than 2,080 kg of opium, valued at several crores of rupees in the illegal market.

The latest action is part of a sustained crackdown against illicit poppy cultivation across Manipur’s hill districts. In separate joint operations carried out in November and December last year, the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, Border Security Force (BSF), NCB and Manipur Police destroyed more than 1,000 acres of illegal poppy fields in various parts of the state.

Officials said illegal poppy cultivation has been largely concentrated in six hill districts-Kangpokpi, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel, Tengnoupal and Senapati. The destruction of over 1,000 acres during the two-month period was estimated to have prevented the production of nearly 9,000 kg of opium, worth several hundred crores of rupees in the illicit drug trade.

A Defence spokesperson said the operations were conducted under extremely challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions, underscoring the resolve of Assam Rifles and other security forces to curb narcotics production and trafficking in the region. He reiterated that the force follows a zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics-related activities, with legal action being initiated against cultivators, facilitators and financiers.

A senior state government official said the destruction of illegal poppy fields forms a key component of the Manipur government’s declared “war against drugs”. Over the years, hundreds of acres of illicit cultivation-mostly on forest and government land-have been identified and destroyed through coordinated action by security and enforcement agencies.

In 2020, authorities had identified 8,057 acres of poppy cultivation across the state, of which 1,695 acres were destroyed. By 2024 and 2025, the area under identified poppy cultivation had declined significantly, reflecting the impact of a multi-pronged strategy involving enforcement, surveillance and inter-agency coordination, the official said.

The Defence spokesperson added that Assam Rifles remains committed to eliminating illegal poppy cultivation along the India-Myanmar border and ensuring long-term stability and security in Manipur and adjoining regions, with sustained operations against narcotics continuing to remain a top priority.

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