Imphal: Drug smuggling in Manipur has shifted to new routes in the hill districts with the outbreak of unrest (Meitei-Kuki conflict) in the state.
Superintendent of Police Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) Watham Basu made the remarks while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the International Overdose Awareness Day observation held at the Manipur Press Club, here, on Sunday.
“Drug trafficking activities in the valley have reduced since the crisis erupted on May 3, 2023, but reports indicate a rise in trafficking through alternate hill district routes ” the senior officer said.
“Earlier, most narcotics were transported through the Imphal valley. But after the crisis, the routes have been diverted. We have installed checkpoints at different areas to intercept peddlers.”
“Sowing season of poppy plants usually begins in September, with harvesting in December or January. With support from various security forces, NAB will launch an anti-poppy cultivation drive from October,” Basu said.
Over the last eight years, NAB along with security agencies has destroyed 18,212.4 acres of illegal poppy cultivation and arrested more than 3,200 individuals in connection with narcotic drugs and poppy-related activities, he added.
Recently, police seized 2.816 kilograms of Brown Sugar packed in 205 soap cases from one individual at T. Gamnom village in Kangpokpi district. On the same day, two more persons were arrested with 113 grams of brown sugar contained in eight soap cases from Senapati district (Adjacent district to Kangpokpi). The total seizure amounts to nearly 2.93 kilograms, which carries an estimated international market value of over Rs 41 crore.
