Imphal: Security forces in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district have destroyed around five acres of illegal poppy cultivation as part of an intensified drive against the state’s drug supply chain.

The operation was carried out on January 27 in the hill ranges of Machi under Machi Police Station. Officials said the action was part of an ongoing multi-agency campaign aimed at curbing both narcotics trafficking and illegal poppy cultivation across the state.

In a related case, security personnel arrested a 65-year-old man, identified as Hriili Kaihrii, at the Phougakchao Ikhai Bazar checkpoint in Bishnupur district on January 19. Kaihrii, a resident of Mayangkhang Khunou in Kangpokpi district, was found in possession of eight soap cases containing suspected heroin weighing around 94 grams. The arrest was made under the jurisdiction of Phougakchao Ikhai Police Station.

Earlier, on January 18, Manipur Police arrested Md Ajmir Hussain (39) from the Tengdongyan area under Sekmai Police Station in Imphal West district. Hussain, a resident of Chingdong Leikai in Jiribam district, was allegedly carrying 310 grams of heroin No. 4, a highly refined form of the drug.

Meanwhile, on January 19, a joint team of security forces, the Forest Department, the Narcotics Affairs Bureau and an executive magistrate conducted a large-scale poppy destruction drive at Dampi under Sangaikot Police Station in Churachandpur district. During the operation, around 22 acres of poppy fields were uprooted and destroyed. Three temporary huts found at the site were also set on fire, and 10 samples of poppy plants along with pods were seized for further investigation.

Officials said the back-to-back operations reflect a strengthened strategy to dismantle the narcotics network, from cultivation to trafficking. Authorities added that such coordinated drives will continue to curb the drug menace and its serious impact on law and order, public health and society in Manipur.

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