Assam destroys poppy farms after Manipur

• Police in Goalpara district of western Assam destroyed over 56 acres of poppy plants worth ₹27.2 crore.

• The destruction was part of an anti-drug drive aimed at preventing cannabis cultivation from sandbars.

• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma compared the local poppy cultivators to Pablo Escobar, a Colombian drug lord killed in 1993.

• Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh expressed appreciation for the decisive measures taken to address the challenges posed by poppy cultivation.

• The anti-drug drive has been linked to the ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities since May 2023.