In a major crackdown on illicit drug cultivation, security forces destroyed 35 acres of poppy plantations in the hill ranges of Langkhong (Saisijang) under Kangpokpi district on December 29.

The operation was carried out by a joint task force comprising Manipur Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Forest Department, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Officials said the site was one of the largest poppy cultivation areas detected in the region this year.

During the operation, security personnel dismantled and destroyed 12 makeshift huts used by cultivators and seized a large quantity of materials employed in the illegal activity. These included 13 bags of fertilisers, 19 bottles of Roundup herbicide, and 16 bags of salt, all of which were confiscated and burnt on the spot.

Authorities also seized and destroyed cultivation equipment such as spray pumps, irrigation pipes, and other herbicides to prevent their reuse.

Officials said the operation has dealt a significant blow to the illegal opium trade, which continues to sustain drug trafficking networks across the northeastern region.

Surveillance in the area has been intensified to prevent the re-emergence of such plantations.

No arrests were made during the operation as the cultivators had abandoned the site before the raid. Investigations are underway to identify and trace those involved.