Manipur Officials Destroy Poppy Crops as Election Crackdown Heats Up

Imphal: Security forces leveled 45 acres of illegal poppy crops across the Thangjing Hill Range. The raid pulled together the Churachandpur District Police, the 1st India Reserve Battalion, the 58th Battalion of the CRPF, the Narcotics and Border Affairs unit, and the Forest Department. Nobody was on-site when teams arrived. An Executive Magistrate oversaw the destruction, and officials issued summonses to the chief of Lhangnom village regarding jurisdictional control.

Kangpokpi District Administration and NCORD Chairman Hemant Kumar ordered an end to all poppy planting before crops hit the flowering stage. He told officers to follow Election Commission of India guidelines to the letter. Local police and Sub-Divisional Officers have two weeks to stop fertilizer dealers who supply illegal farms. The Chief Medical Officer must now deploy a Drug Inspector to audit local chemical shops for mandatory CCTV systems by month end.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta confirmed that mapping of illegal grow sites is finished. Joint operations involving forest rangers, central troops, and civil groups are currently hitting the fields. Gupta stated, "The intensified measures form part of the district administration's efforts to curb illegal poppy cultivation and drug trafficking ahead of the elections." Officials want the public to report drug activity to Police Headquarters or local station commanders immediately.