KCP shares thoughts on drug menace
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 13 2023: The proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) extended revolutionary greetings to the people and revolutionary groups of WESEA region on the occasion of its 43rd Raising Day to be celebrated on April 14 .

The central committee of KCP also shared its thoughts on certain issues plaguing the society and people of Kangleipak (Ma nipur) at present, particularly on drug trafficking and influx of illegal immigrants.

Citing report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the central committee said that the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan) and the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos and Thailand) are two major opium producing regions of the world.

Afghanistan is the largest producer of opium in the world while Myanmar is in the second spot.

In the year 2022, Afghanistan alone produced 6,200 metric tonnes of opium from 233,000 hectares poppy cultivated area while Myanmar produced 790 metric tonnes from 40,100 hectares poppy Cultivated area.

Since the past three decades, Heroin and Hashish produced from the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle reached India before exporting to other parts of the world and the UNODC report also mentioned India as the biggest market of opium in the world, the KCP statement said.

From the time of war lord 'Khun Sa', who took complete control of the Golden Triangle in 1970 and produced 'China White' drug from raw opium, and after his (Khun Sa) demise, drug lords of the Golden Triangle have been producing many illicit drugs like opium, Heroin, WY/Yaba tablet and others unabatedly till date.

Drugs produced in Myanmar crossed into WESEA region (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) particularly states bordering Myanmar like Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

Moreh town in Manipur and Champai in Mizoram remain two main routes for the Myanmar-ori-gin drugs to reach India since the past many years.

It is also an open secret that Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine used as 'chemical precursors' for production of Amphetamine and Amphetamine Type Substances (ATS) are being transported from India to Myanmar through Moreh and Champai.

India produces at least 500 metric tonnes each of Ephedrine and Pseudo -ephedrine every year, it said.

According to the KCP central committee, Manipur is facing drug problem since the early 1970s mainly due to transit of all Myanmar-origin drugs.

Contraband drugs like Morphine, Heroin or No 4, Poldrom, Mandrake and Hypogen were available abundantly in Manipur during the 1970-1980S and these drugs were used by members of wealthy families as fashion statement initially and then spread gradually to other sections of the society irrespective of poor and rich.

From the early 1980s, HIV was detected among injecting drug users of Manipur and the number of Injecting Drug User (IDU) reached 15-20,000 in 1990.The total number of IDUs in Imphal area alone reached 14,000 in the year 2001 with 10-15 percent of them estimated to be women.

As per report of some NGOs, the total number of IDUs in Manipur in the year 2009 was estimated to be 34,500.As spread of HIV/ AIDS increased in Manipur due to sharing of syringe among IDUs, many youths succumbed to HIV/AIDS, the KCP statement said, adding that India HIV Examination 2017 report put Mizoram and Manipur as top states in WESEA with HIV/AIDS infection.

Further citing the UNO-DC-2022 report, the statement of KCP central committee said that 284 million people of the world consume contraband drugs.

Amidst this situation, different types of drugs are be -ing consumed by many people in Manipur irrespective of young and old.

This shows abundant availability of drugs, continuous import of drugs into Manipur and manufacture as well.

Manipur police nab and seize drug users, traffickers and producers every day without interruption.

Earlier, Manipur used to be transit route for some drugs like Morphine and Heroin only but has become drug producer now with widespread poppy plantation.

With drug lords of hills and valley joining their hands together, Manipur now has become drug seller, consumer, producer and importer at the highest level and it would be hard to stop this menace, the KCP central committee said and recalled some major drug haul cases from the year 2013 till date as examples of people involved in drug trafficking, poppy cultivation and drug manufacture.

Among the drug haul cases were the Pallel drug haul case of February 24, 2013 involving Defence Wing (Press Information Bureau) PRO Colonel Ajay Kumar Choudhury, seizure of drugs worth Rs 28 crore from ADC Chandel chairman Lhukhosei Zou on June 20, 2018, destruction of Heroin manufacturing unit at Lilong Dam on June 29, 2019, destruction of Brown Sugar manufacturing unit at Thoubal Moijing, Mina Bazar on June 14, 2022, seizure of 1.333kg Heroin and 9.151kg tablet from five uniformed personnel of Manipur police on Jan 16, 2023 while returning from Moreh and destruction of a drug manufacturing unit at Yairipok on March 12, 2023.Apart from these cases, Manipur government declared through the media on March 31, 2023 that 3517.8 acres of poppy cultivated area were destroyed in 2022 while drugs worth Rs 25.36 crore were recovered in 2023.There has been report of drug seizure and arrest of drug traffickers on daily basis but no arrest of king-pin involved in poppy cultivation or drug business has been made till date and there seems to be escape route for them even if arrested.

This indicates involvement of high-profile political power of India and Manipur in the drug trade, KCP said, adding that drug lords with their sole profitable agenda have converted people of Manipur into business item.

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