A joint team of Manipur Police and local authorities destroyed illegal poppy plantations spread across nearly five acres of land in Kangpokpi district, officials said on Sunday. The operation, carried out on Saturday, was part of the state’s ongoing drive against drug cultivation and trafficking.
The team identified the poppy fields in Songlung village and the nearby areas of Lhangjol and Waphong in the hill district. According to the police, the entire area was cleared during the operation, which took several hours to complete.
A police officer said that several items were found at the site, including eight empty cartridges, bags of fertiliser, and poppy seeds. These materials were seized from the area for further investigation. “The poppy plants were completely uprooted and destroyed to prevent re-cultivation. We are continuing to identify other illegal plantations in the region,” the officer said. 
The police also said that surveillance has been strengthened in parts of Kangpokpi to curb such activities. They added that the illegal cultivation of poppy is often linked to drug production, which has been a persistent concern in some hill areas of Manipur.
