Within two days, security forces in Manipur have uncovered large narcotics consignments in the hill districts, pointing to deeper networks and the recurring role of Zeliangrong suspects.
BY PC Bureau
July 25, 2025 — In back-to-back operations over two days, security forces in Manipur have made significant breakthroughs in their crackdown on narcotics trafficking, with both cases involving peddlers from the Zeliangrong Naga community, raising concerns about the spread of organized drug networks in the hill districts.
On July 24, a TATA truck (registration number MN01 8567) was intercepted at the FCP check post under Jiribam Police Station in Jiribam district. Upon inspection, security personnel recovered 220 kilograms of contraband ganja from the vehicle. The driver, identified as SK Kaphunlung (43) of Khumji village, Noney district, was taken into custody.
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Authorities have registered a case, and investigations are ongoing to trace the supply chain and intended destination of the consignment.
This incident came just a day after another major seizure in the hill region.
On 24.07.2025, security forces intercepted a TATA Truck bearing registration no. MN01 8567 with 220 kgs of contraband Ganja at FCP check post under Jiribam-PS, Jiribam district. The driver of the truck, one SK Kaphunlung (43) of Khumji village, Noney district was arrested. pic.twitter.com/gwSnWhAYPO
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) July 25, 2025
On July 23, a joint operation led by Kangpokpi and Senapati district police, supported by personnel from the 112th and 94th Battalions of the CRPF, uncovered a substantial narcotics cache in T. Khullen village, Kangpokpi district. Acting on credible intelligence, the team conducted a cordon and search operation and recovered:
- 273 soap cases suspected to contain narcotics, weighing around 3.5 kg
- ₹99,09,850 in unaccounted cash
- Seven mobile phones
- Two vehicles (a Tata DI and a Hyundai Creta)
- Financial records and other materials linked to trafficking operations
Four drug peddlers from the Zeliangrong Naga community were arrested in connection with the seizure. An FIR has been filed at Kangpokpi Police Station, and further inquiries are underway to identify the origin of the drugs and the full extent of the trafficking network.
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Security agencies believe these incidents may be part of a wider inter-district drug syndicate operating across the hill districts. Officials are also examining the possibility of links to transborder narcotics routes and financing chains.
The recent arrests have brought renewed scrutiny to the role of organized groups and emerging patterns in narcotics smuggling from Manipur’s hill areas, long considered peripheral but increasingly central to the region’s drug economy.
