Drugs Worth Rs 3.5 Crore Found Stuffed Inside Pumpkins In Manipur

A joint team of the 39th Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police have seized 30 soap cases of brown sugar valued at Rs 3.5 crore. The narcotics were stuffed inside pumpkins and being transported in a truck when it was intercepted.

Two suspects, Abdul Mannan Mazumder and Khalil Ulla Barbhuiya, have been detained in Manipur's Jiribam.

Based on intelligence reports, the security forces intercepted the truck that was heading towards Assam's Cachar from Tipaimukh in Manipur's Pherzawl district.

On inspection, the joint team found 363.45 grams of brown sugar concealed inside the pumpkins.

The arrested men and the seized narcotics have been sent to Jiribam police station for further investigation and legal action.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in a post on the microblogging website X congratulated the security forces for their outstanding work in combating drug trafficking trade.

"Great job by the 39th AR team and Jiribam PS (police station) for their vigilant actions in intercepting the brown sugar from a pickup truck heading towards Cachar from Tipaimukh, Pherzawl district," Mr Singh said.

In another post, Mr Singh explained the "war on drugs" campaign carried out by the BJP government in Manipur.

"We have recovered heroin drugs, opium, tablets, etc. worth over Rs 60,000 crore, destroyed over 20,000 hectares of poppy plantations... Only to save our Indian youths. We will continue," he said.

The ethnic violence in Manipur is being linked to the dwindling opium poppy plantations and the drugs trade in the hill areas, which has affected the traffickers.

Satellite data of the plantations show Kuki-dominated Kangpoki and Churachandpur districts had the highest opium poppy cultivation area.