Sun Nov 16 05:26:13 UTC 2025: Summary:

Security forces in Manipur, India, conducted a five-day operation from November 11-15, 2025, destroying illegal poppy plants on 476 acres of land in Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts. The crackdown, involving Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, CRPF, and Forest Department officials, aimed to curb opium production, believed to be a factor in the ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities. Equipment and materials used in cultivation were seized and destroyed. Officials indicate further crackdowns are expected.

News Article:

Manipur Intensifies Poppy Eradication Drive, Destroys Hundreds of Acres

GUWAHATI, INDIA – November 16, 2025 – Security forces in Manipur have ramped up efforts to combat illegal poppy cultivation, destroying crops on 476 acres of land across the Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts over the past five days. The operation, which began on November 11th and concluded November 15th, involved a joint effort by the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Forest Department officials.

According to official statements, the crackdown targeted poppy fields used for opium production, a trade allegedly linked to the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities that erupted in May 2023.

Raids in Loibol Khullen and Kotlen villages in Kangpokpi district resulted in the destruction of approximately 40 acres of illicit poppy fields. Security forces also seized and destroyed equipment including spray pumps, pipes, herbicides, and fertilizers. Five makeshift huts used by cultivators were burnt down.

The most significant destruction occurred in the Ukhrul district, where 436 acres of poppy plantations were razed in the hill ranges of Somdal, Lamlai Chingfei, and Litan villages.

“The destruction of illegal poppy fields has been intensified in the State,” officials stated, adding that “More crackdowns are likely in the next few days.” This intensified effort signals a strong commitment from the government to tackling the root causes of the ethnic conflict and curbing the illegal drug trade in the region.

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