Imphal: Ahead of New Year 2026, law enforcement personnel in India destroyed approximately 35 acres of illicit poppy plantations, which had the potential to produce around Rs 1 crore worth of raw opium, in the remote hills of Kangpokpi district, Manipur.
Officials reported that the drives against illegal poppy cultivation were carried out after civil society organisations (CSOs) belonging to the Kuki community resolved to halt poppy cultivation across Kangpokpi district, effective from January 1, 2026.
The Manipur Police morning bulletin, issued on Tuesday, stated that combined teams of Manipur Police, CRPF, the Forest Department, and the Narcotics Control Bureau destroyed 35 acres of poppy cultivation in the hill ranges of Langkhong (Saisijang), Kangpokpi district, on Monday.
The operation also destroyed 12 huts, 13 bags of fertilizers, 19 Roundup herbicides, 16 bags of salt, and cultivation equipment such as spray pumps and pipes. However, the police made no arrests and have registered a case in connection with the operation.
Notably, the CSOs belonging to the Kuki community, including the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills and the Sadar Hills Chiefs’ Association, resolved to halt poppy cultivation across Kangpokpi district from January 1, 2026.
In a joint statement issued on December 23, 2025, the CSOs said they had held three rounds of meetings on December 10, 16, and 19 to resolve against poppy cultivation in Kangpokpi. The statement added that at all these meetings, every participating organisation and village chief unanimously pledged and committed to discontinuing poppy cultivation in their respective jurisdictions from 2026 onwards.