KANGPOKPI, Nov 13: In a major crackdown on illicit narcotics production, security forces have destroyed 56 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, delivering a significant blow to the region’s drug trade, according to official sources.
The joint operation was conducted in two major locations — the adjoining areas of Thonglang Akutpa and Songjang Hill ranges, and Awlmun village under Kangchup Police Station. Security personnel uprooted vast stretches of poppy fields hidden across difficult hill terrain, as part of the state’s intensified “War on Drugs” campaign.
During the operation, forces also dismantled 19 makeshift huts allegedly used by cultivators for temporary shelter and processing. Additionally, 10 fertilizer bags and 9 sacks of salt, commonly used in poppy cultivation, were seized and destroyed on-site.
Officials said the action was aimed at dismantling the illegal drug cultivation network that has been operating in remote hill regions and to promote alternative livelihood programs among local villagers who depend on poppy farming for income.
Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to conducting similar drives across the hill districts to ensure that Manipur remains free from poppy cultivation and drug-related activities.
