Imphal, Feb 28 (IANS): Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey said on Wednesday that 3,010 acres of illicit poppy cultivation have been destroyed in the state, adding that due to the government's efforts, illegal poppy cultivation areas have reduced.

Addressing the fifth session of the 12th Manipur Assembly, which began on Wednesday, the Governor said that areas under poppy cultivation was assessed for the last three years covering nine districts of the state.

“The area under poppy cultivation assessed during 2021-22 was about 28,599 acres. It reduced to 11,288 acres during 2023-24, which is a reduction of about 60 per cent. The decreasing trend in areas under poppy cultivation reflects the positive impact of the government’s efforts on ‘War on Drugs’,” she said.

The Governor added that the ‘War on Drugs 2.0' is now going on and in 2023, 72.9 kg heroin, 147.1 kg opium, 195.2 kg ganja (marijuana), 111.3 kg brown sugar, 155.3 kg Methamphetamine tablets, and 33.3 kg pseudoephedrine tablets were seized, among others.

She said that as many as 288 cases were registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985, and 333 persons were arrested during 2023.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and senior law enforcement agency officials had earlier accused illegal immigrants from Myanmar and drug peddlers, including Myanmar nationals, of being involved in mass poppy farming and forest destruction in the northeastern state.

Ahead of the ethnic violence that broke out in Manipur around 10 months back, the sate government in March-April last year had started destroying illegal poppy cultivation by launching an eviction drive against the encroachers who illegally occupied protected forest lands in the mountainous regions of the state.