The accused — including two women — were arrested under NDPS Act; police probe links to wider drug networks fueling Manipur’s narcotics trade.
Sept. 5, 2025: Security forces on Thursday arrested four residents of Khomidok Karong village under Heingang police station, Imphal East district, in a fresh crackdown on narcotics trade. The four accused — Mariyam Begum (54), Abdul Matalib (36), Md. Umar (28), and Ruhina (30) — were apprehended from their locality following intelligence-based operations.
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Officials confirmed the seizure of:
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129 grams of Heroin No. 4 (including vials),
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137 empty vials,
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14 syringes,
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Seven mobile phones, and
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₹1,23,750 in cash, suspected to be proceeds from drug trafficking.
Police said the accused were booked under the NDPS Act and interrogation is underway to track the wider supply chain.
On 04.09.2025, Security Forces arrested 02 (two) active cadres of PREPAK from Ngariyan Naka check point under Andro-PS, Imphal East district namely (i) Nongmaithem (N) Usham (O) Pakpi Devi (46) of Khongjom Samaram Laibung, Thoubal district and (ii) Leihaorongbam Premi Devi (39)… pic.twitter.com/rvcoWmdvty
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) September 5, 2025
The arrests also highlight a politically sensitive issue in Manipur. For months, Meitei civil society groups have accused Kuki-Zo groups of running “narco-terrorist” networks, often linking the community with cross-border heroin smuggling from Myanmar’s Golden Triangle.
However, recent seizures have painted a more complex picture. A number of drug busts in the Imphal Valley have revealed the involvement of Meitei Pangals (Muslims) in the illicit trade, raising questions about selective blame and the politicization of the drug menace. Thursday’s arrests in Heingang — a Meitei-dominated area — are the latest addition to this list.
Manipur’s “War on Drugs” campaign has intensified under the President’s Rule, with hundreds of kilograms of contraband seized in both hill and valley districts. Yet, activists warn that the campaign is often used to reinforce ethnic fault lines. “Drugs have no community — traffickers operate wherever there’s profit. Singling out one group only hides the larger problem,” a local rights activist told this newspaper.
With the insurgency, ethnic unrest, and cross-border trafficking converging, Manipur’s battle against drugs remains one of the most politically charged law-and-order challenges in the Northeast.
