Manipur: Security forces destroy 5 acres of poppy fields in Kangpokpi
Imphal: Security forces on Saturday destroyed poppy plants cultivated on approximately 5 acres in Songlung village and the adjacent areas of Lhangjol and Waphong villages under Kangchup police station in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, officials said on Sunday.
Eight empty cartridges, three fertilizer bags, and poppy seeds, found near three burnt huts at the site of the poppy cultivation, were seized.
This is a follow-up action of the joint security forces. The Assam Rifles, along with the CRPF and Manipur Police, on November 2, launched a coordinated anti-narcotics operation in Kangpokpi District.
The operation involved extensive area domination in the villages of Songlung, Old Songlung, and Lhangjol, resulting in the detection and destruction of three parcels of poppy cultivation fields spread over approximately 30 acres.
The destroyed fields had the potential to yield nearly 270 kilograms of opium, valued at multiple crores of rupees.
Conducted under challenging terrain and weather conditions, this operation stands as one of the major joint initiatives undertaken by the Assam Rifles, CRPF, and Manipur Police to combat the cultivation and production of illicit narcotics in the region.
Meanwhile, the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), an outfit belonging to the Zeliangrong Naga tribes, has intensified its defensive campaign to safeguard the ancestral land of the Zeliangrong and Inpui people from Kuki illegal immigrants engaged in poppy cultivation.
The outfit said in a statement issued by Franky Gonmei (Ministry of Information and Publicity) that the Front had carried out its second wave of operation on November 7, around 1 pm, burning several poppy farms and farmhouses in the ongoing fight against the drug menace.
The ZUF had already destroyed numerous poppy fields, huts, and vehicles at Waphong in Kangpokpi district.
Meanwhile, local volunteers, specifically the Committee against Poppy Plantation Zalenbung area, destroyed fertilizers and other materials used for poppy cultivation in the Ukhrul district on November 5, 2025.
The volunteers destroyed the fertilizers stored in makeshift camps at Songphel, Mullam, and Lamlai Chingphei areas of the same district.
A video of the committee members destroying the fertilizer bags and pouring the contents on the ground was shared on social media.
This action is part of ongoing efforts by local civil society organizations and the government's "War on Drugs" campaign, which often involves joint teams of police, forest department officials, security forces, and community volunteers to eradicate illegal poppy cultivation in the hill districts of Manipur.
Authorities have also distributed seeds and manure for alternative crops in an effort to provide alternative livelihoods to villagers to dissuade them from growing poppy.