A large joint operation led by security and enforcement agencies has destroyed nearly 35 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in the hill areas of Langkhong (Saisijang) under Kangpokpi district in Manipur. The operation took place on December 29 and is being seen as one of the biggest actions against illegal drug-related farming in the state this year. According to officials, the action was carried out by a joint task force that included the Manipur Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Forest Department, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The team located a widespread area of poppy fields spread along the hill slopes and carried out a carefully coordinated effort to destroy the plants on site. Officers involved in the operation said the cultivation area was large and well-organised, indicating that the illegal farming had been taking place for some time. The team also came across temporary structures and equipment used during farming.
During the crackdown, security personnel destroyed 12 makeshift huts that were believed to have been used by cultivators for shelter and storage. Large amounts of materials used in the farming process were also recovered and burnt at the site. These included 13 bags of fertilisers, 19 bottles of Roundup herbicide, and 16 bags of salt. Authorities also seized and destroyed spray pumps, irrigation pipes, and other agricultural tools used to maintain the fields. Officers said the immediate destruction of both crops and equipment was important to prevent any future reuse of the site for illegal cultivation. Officials described the operation as a major step in ongoing efforts to curb poppy farming and drug-related activities in Manipur. The region has seen continued attempts by groups and individuals to cultivate poppy, which is later processed for opium and other narcotic substances. These drugs are then trafficked across different parts of northeastern India and beyond.
Police sources said that although the operation was successful in clearing the plantation, no arrests were made during the raid. It is believed that the cultivators abandoned the area before the arrival of the joint task force. Investigations have been launched to trace those involved in organising and carrying out the cultivation. Authorities are trying to identify land owners, organisers, and workers who may have been linked to the illegal activity.
