The Union Home Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the nexus between the illegal trade in narcotics and terrorist activities is examined case-wise, and in Manipur, since 2018, four cases had been reported to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in which five “Indians” were arrested with narcotic substances along with arms and ammunition.
This was stated in response to a question on “whether there is a nexus among narcotics business and terrorist activities in the State and is it one of the factors fuelling the present state of affairs [of violence]”.
From 2018 to May 31 this year, 1,897 cases related to narcotics were registered in Manipur, in which 2,622 persons were arrested.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has claimed on several occasions that the present unrest in the State has its roots in the war against drugs carried out by the State administration over the past few years.
As many as 150 people have been killed in Manipur since ethnic violence erupted between the Meitei and the tribal Kuki-Zo communities since May 3. The tribals have accused the government of “ethnic cleansing” of their communities in a petition to the Supreme Court.
Responding to a question by Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply: “NCB shares satellite imagery regarding illicit cultivation of Cannabis and Opium Poppy with Manipur Police and also participates in destruction.”
The Minister’s response said that from 2018 to May 31, 2023, 2,449 acres of opium poppy cultivation had been destroyed.
Mr. Rai said Director General-level talks and meetings of field-level officers have been organised between the NCB, India and the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC), Myanmar to resolve various drugs-related issues having international implications.
“NCB on the directions of MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) has identified 02 places to install vehicle scanners at international border and hinterland or Manipur State to check the movement of drugs,” the reply said.
Till May 31, 208 cases were registered by drug law enforcement agencies in Manipur, and 265 persons were arrested. The number of cases registered in the years 2018-22 stood at 329, 275, 257, 325, and 503, and the number of arrests registered in the years 2018-22 stood at 494, 422, 381, 417, 643, and 265, respectively.
