Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh labeled the drug smuggling network in Northeast India a “grave threat” to the nation’s future, urging relentless action to dismantle it. In a post on X, Singh praised the Assam Rifles and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for seizing 642 grams of heroin and 10 kg of methamphetamine tablets, valued at ₹36.79 crore, in Mizoram’s Zokhawthar on July 17, calling it a “decisive” blow to traffickers.

Singh, who launched a fierce anti-drug campaign during his tenure, stressed the need to escalate efforts, particularly targeting poppy cultivation in Manipur’s hill districts, which fuels the narco-trade. “This fight must continue with greater urgency,” he said, advocating for a united campaign to protect the region’s youth from narco-terrorism’s grip.

Manipur, sharing a 398-km porous border with Myanmar, is a key transit route for drugs from the Golden Triangle. In 2024, the state reported 1,117 NDPS Act cases, 1,517 arrests, and seizures of 54.78 kg of heroin. Singh’s call comes amid rising concerns, with a 2023 report noting 15,496.8 acres of poppy fields destroyed in Manipur from 2017-2023, highlighting the scale of the crisis.

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