Manipur police destroy 70 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in Ukhrul district

Around 70 acres of illegal poppy cultivation were destroyed in Ukhrul district, Manipur, on December 16, as part of an ongoing crackdown on illicit plantations.

A joint team of Manipur Police, the forest department, and the Assam Rifles carried out the operation across three villages—Phalee, Tora, and Champhung—under the Lungchong Maiphei police station area. During the operation, 13 huts found within the poppy fields were also burned down.

The authorities have initiated an investigation to identify those behind the illegal poppy cultivation, and an FIR has been registered. This comes just a week after the police and forest department destroyed around 55 acres of poppy crops in Shihai Khullen, also in Ukhrul district.

Since 2017, the Manipur government has successfully eradicated a total of 19,135.6 acres of illegal poppy cultivation across 12 districts. The highest destruction occurred in Kangpokpi district, where 4,454.4 acres were cleared, followed by Ukhrul with 3,348 acres and Churachandpur with 2,713.8 acres, according to a report using remote sensing and GIS technology.