Manipur: Kuki village chief arrested with nearly 1 kg of opium in Kangpokpi

Imphal: The Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Manipur Police, with the assistance of the Assam Rifles, arrested a Kuki tribal village chief and recovered approximately one kilogram of raw opium during a joint operation in Manipur's Kangpokpi district.

The Manipur Police's morning bulletin, issued on Monday, reported that, acting on a tip from various sources indicating that drug peddlers were making their presence felt in vulnerable areas of the Kangpokpi district, a joint team launched an operation on Sunday.

The two-hour-long operation wound up with the arrest of a drug peddler, later identified as Lunkhohao Kipgen (43), the Chief of Gunphaibung Kuki village under Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district.

The arrest and seizure occurred during the operation at the Bongmoul Kuki village under Kangpokpi Police Station (PS), Kangpokpi district.

The police report accused the village chief of peddling the contraband items, with the seizure of 986 grams of raw opium and a mobile phone from his unauthorized possession.

The report added that a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, has been registered, and the arrested person and seized items are now in police custody for further legal proceedings.