Manipur CM sets on fire drugs valued around Rs 34.13 cr

IMPHAL: Manipur chief minister n Biren Singh on Thursday set on fire pre-trial drugs and psychotropic substances valued at nearly Rs 34.13 crore in the international market at Pungdongbam Chingmang in Imphal East.

The contrabands were seized by Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) and Thoubal, Noney, Senapati, Imphal West, Bishnupur and Imphal East district police.

The contraband items included 2.27 kg Heroin, 273.87 kg cannabis, 5,80,853 World is Yours tablets, 1,22,696 SP capsules and 530 N-10 tablets.

Setting the drugs on fire, Singh took a cue from his Sikkim counterpart PS Tamang to warn that his government would terminate the service if anybody from the Manipur Police is caught involved in drug and psychotropic substance related cases. Tamang had recently warned Sikkim Police of compulsory retirement if any policeman is found guilty of drug peedling.

“The government will terminate the service if anybody from the Manipur Police department is found guilty in drug and psychotropic substance related cases,” Singh said.

“War on Drugs is not an idea which is conceptualised recently. Drug abuse and HIV problem in the state have been troubling my mind since the early Ninties, during my days in journalism,” Singh said.

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After he became the chief minister, Singh launched a ‘War on Drugs’ on June 26, 2018 on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Singh appreciated the NAB, Manipur Police, paramilitary forces and all others involved in the War on Drugs. He said destruction of poppy farms would continue until villagers stop growing it.