Continuing its drive against poppy cultivation, security forces along with the Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) sleuths destroyed a large amount of poppy cultivated illegally in an area covering around 130 acres in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Saturday.
Poppy planted in an area of 130 acres in three regions- Monglian (62 acres), Salvaphai (60 acres) and B Khomunnuam (8 acres) at two locations were destroyed.
According to NCB the market value of the destroyed poppy plantation is estimated at more than Rs 5 crore.
The destruction drive will continue for the next few days, sources from Churachandpur district police told Northeast Now.
On February 1 too, poppy plantations worth Rs 3.5 crore were destroyed at five different locations of Churachandpur district.
The widespread drive against drug abuse was taken up in the state in order to tackle the drug menace and punish the drug smugglers.
The drive was initiated after the state Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh expressed serious concern over the report of continuous seizure of narcotics drugs from various parts of the state.
Saturday’s drive against poppy cultivation was led by Additional SP(Ops) Binod Ranjan and Additional SP (Law and Order) L Khongsai.