About 21 acres of poppy plantations consisting of approximately 4,20,000 poppy plants were completely destroyed at Kaimai Kuki village under Tousem subdivision in Tamenglong district by a joint team on Thursday.
The joint team comprised of additional SP Highway Imphal-Jiribam John Lokho, OC Tousem Manatha Kamei, Tamenglong Forest Division, NAB Manipur, 39 AR Kaimai CO, 7 IRB Kaimai, 5th MR, Tamenglong, 87 CRPF was led by Tousem SDO Paul Nangsha.
The SDO told the media that the total value of opium from the plantation will be approximately Rs 10,2,90,000 if calculated at the rate of Rs 70,000 per kg at the local market.
SDO Tousem warned the village authorities and villagers that stringent action will be taken up as per law against those who are engaged and involved in the poppy plantation.
He asserted that anyone involved in poppy plantations in the region will not be spared.
“Poppy cultivation is never about the question of one’s survival. It is about one’s greed and trying to find the easiest and quickest way to make illegal money at the cost of peoples’ lives,” he said.
Those involved in poppy cultivation are the enemy of the society, the state and the country, he maintained.
He also pointed out that Tousem subdivision is not known for poppy plantations but rather famous for its Orange production.
It is extremely sad and unfortunate to learn that the virus of poppy cultivation is slowly spreading in the area, he mentioned. Every citizen of the state should support the War on Drugs initiated to save the future and for better Manipur by the chief minister of Manipur, he added.
