A security team destroyed four hectares of poppy field at T Khongmol Kuki Village, Nungba Sub Division Noney district on Monday.
A joint team of Manipur Police led by additional SP Noney Sangboi Gangte, OC Nungba Police station, Nilamani Singh, RO Nungba Forest Oinam Pamheiba, OC 39 Assam Rifles Nungba Outpost Shimray and Rongmei Naga Students' Organization Manipur (RNSOM) president Daichui.
“We destroyed at least 4 hectares of poppy plantations today at T Khongmol, Longpi Circle under Nungba Police Station in collaboration with different Government agencies including RNSOM,” said OC Nungba Police Station Nilamani Singh.
Legal action has been initiated against the chairman of T Khongmol and the cultivator respectively though both were out of station at the time of operation. Both of them will be dealt with according to the law of the land, he said.
It is surprising to see that such massive plantations are still carried out despite several requests, appeals and warnings from the government, he said. Search and survey drives of Poppy plantations will continue and they will be destroyed if found in the coming days, he maintained.
RNSOM president Daichui said that it is highly surprising and unexpected to see such huge plantations going on in Nungba Sub Division while the the chief minister of Manipur had declared war on drugs and appealed to make a drugs free state.
“The Rongmei community never practiced such poppy plantations or any kind of drugs related businesses, and had declared poppy free in all Rongmei areas during 2022, in support of the state government's initiatives. We will continue working with government agencies to completely eradicate this menace at the best interest of the people. We will continue to work together with the government to make Tamenglong and Noney districts as poppy-free districts,” he added.
The student body stated that a continuous survey will be conducted at both these two districts and cautioned any body involved to surrender or quit before they are caught.
The organisation will never hesitate to protect and safeguard the future generations and always stand along with the government to help in ending the illegal drug businesses in the state, added Daichui.
As per the villagers, the chairman of T Khongmol lives in Churachandpur while the poppy cultivators reside in T Khongmol.
