Police and Security Forces Destroy 45 Acres of Illegal Poppy Crops in Manipur

Imphal: Security forces razed 45 acres of illegal poppy crops on November 5. The operation hit the Thangjing Hill Range in Manipur's Churachandpur district. Heavy boots moved in to clear the fields.

The joint raid pulled in the Churachandpur District Police, the 1st Indian Reserve Battalion, the 58 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, the Narcotics and Affairs of Border unit, and the Forest Department. An Executive Magistrate oversaw the destruction of the illicit plants.

Nobody was at the site when the teams arrived. The land sits inside the jurisdiction of Lhangnom village, prompting officials to take immediate action against local leadership. Authorities issued a formal summons to the village chief to answer for the sprawling operation.

Officials noted the scale of the destruction highlights a massive narcotics problem in the hill districts. One report stated that the "destruction of such a large area of illicit poppy cultivation once again brings the scale of the narcotics cultivation challenge in the hill districts of Manipur into focus."