Manipur: Fountainhead of drugs ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 23, 2022 -

It is quite disturbing and a matter of grave concern for all Northeastern States in general and Manipur in particular that, of late, there have been continuous reports of seizure of contraband drugs of several types and colours in different parts of the region.

In most of these cases, the drugs either originated from Manipur or the drug smugglers are residents of Manipur.

On November 21 too, Assam Police seized contraband drugs worth Rs 50 crore in Cachar and it was reported that the drugs were brought from Churachandpur district of- Manipur.

This is not an isolated case. There have been many such cases which only imply that there is a huge loophole or lapse in the State Government's War on Drugs.

Even if some of the drug smugglers are operating alone, it has been already reported that there are well established networks of drug cartels.

Earlier in August this year, a man was arrested in Delhi along with 4 Kgs of heroin worth Rs 20 crore in international market.

The drug consignment was smuggled to Delhi from Myanmar through Manipur and the arrested man was no petty or ordinary drug peddler but a member of an international drug cartel which is active in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur and Assam.

By simply taking note of the reports of seizure drugs in different parts of the country which either originated from Manipur or passed through the State, one can safely guess that not one but many interstate and international drug cartels are thriving in the State.

If one collates all such reports, a very disturbing picture emerges; a grim picture of Manipur being a very convenient hotspot and/or route for illicit drug trafficking.

Apart from supplying raw material (opium) to the Golden Triangle for manufacturing different narcotic drugs, Manipur is fast becoming a drug manufacturing centre, if the discovery and busting of drug manufacturing units as reported in media from time to time are any indication.

No doubt, many drug peddlers/smugglers/couriers have been arrested but no kingpin has ever been arrested or named. In spite of the State's War on Drugs, the situation is rather growing from bad to worse.

Every case of seizure of drugs demands a very thorough and impartial investigation. The investigation must go down to the very bottom otherwise drug cartels may grow into most powerful groups in the society.

Till some years back, Manipur only served as a transit route for smuggling drugs from the infamous Golden Triangle to mainland India and elsewhere.

But today, poppy plantations on commercial scale and clandestine drug manufacturing units have become an ugly reality in the State.

When the main raw material (opium/poppy) is cultivated across vast hill ranges within the State, emergence of factories which run on this raw material is only a natural corollary.

Before such well equipped factories start manufacturing drugs on industrial scale on the soil of Manipur, the Government and all stakeholders need to act with a firm determination on war-footing.

A foolproof mechanism must also be put in place for effective coordination among different States where the inter-State drug cartels are active.

If the war on drugs is gaining any ground and the communities are supporting the same war, the drug menace ought to come down but the ground reality tells a very different tale.

It would be a far reaching tragedy for