By- Addie Chiphang
Ukhrul, Nov 20:
As a part of the War on Drugs campaign, massive Poppy plants in the periphery of Mapithel mountain range Kamjong district under Litan Police station covering approximately 30 hectares of Poppy farms were destroyed on Monday.
The Poppy plant drive was carried out by Ukhrul police in collaboration with the Ukhrul forest department, 6th Manipur Rifles, 35 Assam Rifles, and CSO volunteers numbering around 141 members.
Qr. Ningshem Vashum, SP Ukhrul personally supervised and led the team today and actively took part in destroying around 30 hectares of Poppy plants and burned down 28 huts in the vicinity of Poppy farms.
The SP while talking with the media on the sideline of the farm stated that the team will continue the destruction of poppy cultivation for 3 days (up to 23 November 2023) and will try to cover maximum destruction of poppy cultivated areas.
This is part of the Government’s “War On Drugs”. Several warnings have been given to the villagers not to cultivate poppies, but this practice is going on at a very large scale in this hill range. We will continue this drive against poppy cultivation until this illicit practises is eliminated from this district” stated Ningshem Vashum, SP of Ukhrul.
Further, the SP said that necessary legal action would be initiated against Poppy farmers once they were arrested.
