New Delhi: Admitting the fact that there is a close nexus between narcotics business and terror activities in Manipur, the Centre on Wednesday said that at least five people were arrested along with arms and ammunition as well as drugs in three consecutive years in the strife-torn state.
“The nexus between narcotics trade and terrorist activities is examined on a case-to-case basis. People with drugs and arms and ammunition have been arrested by different law enforcing agencies in Manipur,” said Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Rai said that five persons along with drugs as well as arms and ammunition were arrested from Thoubal, Imphal East, Imphal and Chandel district of Manipur between 2018-2020. He further said that the security agencies carried out opium poppy destruction on 18,854 acres of land in Manipur from 2018 up to May this year.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) shares satellite imagery regarding the illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy cultivation with Manipur Police and also participates in destruction. Asserting that drug smuggling keeps happening from across the border in Myanmar, Rai said director general-level talks and field-level officers' meetings were organized between NCB and Myanmar’s Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) to resolve various drug-related issues having international implications.
“NCB on the directions of MHA has identified two places to install vehicle scanners at the international border and hinterland of Manipur state to check the movement of drugs,” said Rai. He said that since the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and its abuse is a transnational problem, the government of India has entered into bilateral agreements with 27 countries, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 16 countries and two agreements on Security Cooperation for preventing illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals.
