Central and state governments must formulate stringent laws to punish drug smugglers to curb the drugs menace in Northeast India, the Indigenous People’s Association of Kangleipak (IPAK) said Thursday.
A release from secretary, IPAK, L Romen Meetei stated the problem of drugs menace is on the rise with a huge number of youths falling prey to drugs despite the ‘War on Drugs’ initiated by the state government.
The future of the state will be at stake if the ongoing issue of drugs is not dealt with in an effective manner since poppy plantations have become abundant in the hills of the state while synthetic-drug manufacturing units are being set up in the valley areas, it added.
IPAK further stated that the records and media reports of police seizing drugs worth crores of rupees is an indication that the state has become a major hub of drug trafficking activities for international drug mafias.
There is also the possibility of some militants of Manipur and Myanmar being involved in the activities, it asserted.
According to a report published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime 2019 called ‘Transnational Organised Crime in South East Asia: Evolution, Growth and Impact’, ethnic communities of Myanmar and militant groups are involved in smuggling methamphetamine to other countries, it stated.
The report also mentions that methamphetamine precursor chemicals are being smuggled into Myanmar from Northeast India and Bangladesh while methamphetamines in the form of powders, tablets and crystals are being exported back to Northeast India and Bangladesh, it stated. Due to most South East Asian countries taking up strict actions against drug trafficking, poppy cultivation is increasing in the state, IPAK added.
