Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday reiterated that his government remains firmly committed to eradicating the drug menace through coordinated, sustained and multi-agency efforts.
After meeting Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Deputy Director General (Northeast Region) R. Sudhakar, the Chief Minister said the state government is resolutely pursuing its fight against drug trafficking and narcotics abuse through a comprehensive strategy involving both enforcement and intelligence-based operations.
An official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that the meeting focused on strengthening intelligence gathering, enhancing coordination among state, Central and international agencies, and ensuring the effective enforcement of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, to curb drug trafficking and dismantle narcotics networks operating in the region.
Both Manipur and Mizoram have emerged as major drug trafficking corridors in the Northeast due to their long unfenced international borders with Myanmar, which forms part of the notorious "Golden Triangle", one of the world's largest illicit narcotics-producing regions.
Five districts of Manipur, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong and Ukhrul, share a 398-km unfenced international border with Myanmar, making them particularly vulnerable to cross-border smuggling of narcotics and other contraband. Mizoram, too, remains highly vulnerable to transnational drug trafficking as it shares a 510-km unfenced border with Myanmar and a 318-km unfenced border with Bangladesh.
Law enforcement agencies have frequently detected drug trafficking networks operating between Manipur, Mizoram and southern Assam, with smugglers clandestinely transporting narcotics across state borders using various routes to evade security agencies.
A senior police official in Aizawl said that Mizoram Police earlier this week arrested two alleged drug peddlers from Assam's Cachar district and a woman from Manipur's Chandel district. During the operation, the police recovered a large consignment of heroin valued at more than Rs 7.40 crore in the illegal market from the trio.
Meanwhile, Manipur Director General of Police (DGP) Mukesh Singh, who has been undertaking extensive visits to districts across the state after assuming charge as the state police chief on June 1, has been reviewing the ground-level law and order situation with a special focus on anti-narcotics operations.
During his interactions with district police officials, the DGP directed them to intensify intelligence-based operations and take proactive measures to curb drug trafficking, dismantle smuggling networks and prevent the spread of narcotics abuse across the state.
He also appealed to various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in both the Imphal Valley and the hill districts to actively support the government's anti-drug campaign by creating public awareness and undertaking coordinated initiatives against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.