In Ukhrul District of Manipur, a total of 995 acres of poppy cultivation were destroyed and 133 huts used by poppy cultivators were burnt during the Phase 1 and Phase 2 poppy destruction operation.
The poppy destruction drive was jointly carried out by the District Police, 6th Manipur Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), 4th Mahar Regiment, 18 Assam Rifles, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Narcotics Affairs and Border (NAB), and the Forest Department.
In Phase 1, around 436 acres of illegal poppy cultivation were destroyed and 51 huts used by the poppy cultivators were burnt.
In Phase 2, around 559 acres of illegal poppy cultivation were destroyed and 82 huts used by the poppy cultivators were burnt.
The Phase 1 of the poppy destruction drive was carried out from 11-15 November 2025.
The Phase 2 of the poppy destruction drive was carried out from 16 -20 December 2025.
“During the operation, the combined teams successfully covered the hill ranges of Yaolen, Lamlai Chingphei, Shongphel, and Mullam under Litan Police Station, as well as the hill ranges of Torah, Champhung, Teinem, Phalee, and Changta under Somdal Police Station and LM Police Station” informed Ukhrul Police
During the drive, poppy pods were seized and 3 FIRs were registered. However, there was no report of any arrest.
The rise in illicit poppy cultivation has posed a serious threat to the very existence of Manipur. If not checked, Manipur state can be the next possible hub for drug production, rather than just being a spot on the trafficking route.
Many are into poppy plantations because of the lucrative income. In spite of various awareness campaigns by the District Administration, NGOs and CSOs, there seems to be an increase in numbers of poppy cultivation.
The strong will power of the Government to crush the illicit poppy cultivation in the hills will only end the Illicit poppy cultivation in the hills. Unless checked, opium will become the most dangerous drug available in the backyard of hill districts. Before opium runs into the bloodstream of the societal veins, getting passed on from one generation to another and attacking the very core or vitality of the social system, the budding tissue should be nipped in the bud.
