Tech to Task Force: Manipur Takes Its ‘War on Drugs 2.0’ to New High, Rs 142-crore Contraband Seized in 70 – News18

With the porous Indo-Myanmar border exposing Manipur to the Golden Triangle of drug trade and mafias, the state has launched a War on Drugs 2.0, making it a part of the 100-day agenda of the CM Biren Singh-led new government. The Ministry of Home Affairs, too, has made fighting the drug menace in the state its top priority.

The organised drug mafia, with abundant resources, uses various ways and means to push narcotic substances such as heroin, opium, ganja and synthetic drugs such as crystal methamphetamine, pseudo-ephedrine, W.Y. Tablets etc. into the state and further to other parts of the country.

In its new avatar, the War on Drugs initiative has an Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).

The exercise comprises a multi-pronged strategy, which covers the legal, social, human resources and technological aspects to deal with the drug menace.

The state government has started choking the transit routes by deploying a dedicated 247 Highway patrol of eight GPS-enabled vehicles in Senapati and Kangpokpi districts on NH-2 as a pilot project. A compressive state highway security plan for three major National Highways NH-2, NH-102 & NH-37 connecting Manipur to Myanmar, Assam and Nagaland is in the pipeline. Once the scheme is enforced, the drug peddlers will have no option, but to stop using Manipur as a transit route for drug trafficking, said experts.

In the past five years, drugs worth Rs 3,213 crore (value in the international market) have been seized and 1,674 cases have been filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act leading to 2,104 arrests.

Further, the police have seized 170 kg heroin, 6,920 kg ganja, 1,265 kg opium, 520 kg brown sugar, 725 kg synthetic drugs, 16 lakh psychotropic tablets and 63,000 bottles of drug syrups. In addition, 13,894 acres of illicit poppy cultivated areas and 20 acres of cannabis (ganja) cultivated areas were destroyed.

After the formation of ANTF on March 20, the state has witnessed an increased crackdown on illicit drug peddlers, which has led to registration of 146 cases under the NDPS Act, 174 arrests and seizure of 18 kg heroin, 135 kg opium, 85 kg WY tablets, 44,000 capsules and 24,000 bottles of drug syrups along with destruction of 381 acres of illegal poppy cultivation.

Within 70 days, the Manipur Police have seized contraband valuing approximately Rs 142 crore in the international market.

The Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MARSAC) has been tasked to generate high-resolution data to identify areas which have been subjected to illegal poppy cultivation in remote areas. The map obtained from MARSAC has been corroborated with the images obtained from drones. On the basis of this data, relevant provisions of the NDPS Act have been applied on landowners and village chiefs allegedly for poppy cultivation. The process will be a deterrent to any prospective illicit poppy cultivator, said experts.

In a first, the ANTF organised a state-level seminar-cum-workshop on War on Drugs 2.0. It was inaugurated by CM N Biren Singh in the presence of chief secretary, DGP Manipur and other senior police officers.

This exercise was extended across the state by organising six workshops for 300 officers across 16 wings of District Police and Armed Police, so they can handle drug cases effectively.

The state has empowered officers of the Armed Police of Manipur (Manipur Rifles & Indian Reserve Battalions) under relevant sections of the NDPS Act on the lines of Central Armed Police Forces like Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force. It is likely to further intensify the crackdown on illicit trading of drugs as Manipur Armed Police personnel are deployed across the State of Manipur, including hilly and remote areas.

A seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by the IGP and ANTF, has been constituted to expedite the NDPS Act cases and for timely filing of charge sheets, besides ensuring higher convictions. The list of pending NDPS cases has been prepared and drug peddlers have been booked under Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PIT NDPS) to ensure they dont get bail. This provision under the PIT NDPS has been drafted on the lines of the National Security Act (NSA), stipulating one year of preventive detention without bail, extendable up to two years.

To garner support, public awareness programmes have been chalked out through more than 70 events in the hill districts. The inaugural event started with the final match of a prominent local football tournament featuring many national/ISL level players which was attended by DGP Manipur and IGP Zone in the presence of around 2,000 locals. In addition, the Manipur government has decided to keep Drug-Free Manipur as the theme for International Yoga Day.

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Promotional strategies have been devised and a social media campaign has begun, with the launch of a dedicated Twitter handle War on Drugs, Manipur & Facebook page, War on Drugs, Manipur. Daily achievements of the state are highlighted through it.

The government is also focussed on providing alternate livelihood for those involved in drug trade. Steps are being taken to identify alternative means of livelihoods to wean away people from indulging in illicit cultivation of poppy in remote and hilly areas of Manipur due to lack of job opportunities.

The District Level NCORD Committee has been constituted for identification of target population, appropriate schemes and implementation of alternative livelihood and monitoring of the implementation. The proposed alternatives need to be based on local agro-climatic zones, traditional occupation and after weighing all pros and cons related to forest, agriculture, tribal development, horticulture, planning departments, etc. economic activities based on prevailing agro-climatic zone like horticulture, poultry, piggery, bee-keeping, floriculture, herbal plants etc., with emphasis on high value, low volume produce.

The state is striving to increase the market linkage to ensure right price for local products. Co-operative societies are being formulated to make these activities commercially viable.

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Tech to Task Force: Manipur Takes Its 'War on Drugs 2.0' to New High, Rs 142-crore Contraband Seized in 70 - News18