Imphal/Kohima, Jan 25 : A total of 314.471 kg of various seized drugs valued at around Rs 400 crore were disposed of in Manipur's Imphal West district in the presence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and other senior officials.

Various drugs worth over Rs 35 crore were also destroyed by the Nagaland Police in two separate operations in Dimapur and Mon districts.

In Manipur, the drugs, which were destroyed at the Shija Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility, Lamdeng, included 9.884 kg of heroin, 244.409 kg of brown sugar, 26.239 kg of highly addictive methamphetamine tablets (also known as Yaba tablets), 661 grams of SP capsule, 493 grams of N-10 tablets, 505 grams of pseudoephedrine tablets and 32.280 kg of ganja.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh during the event said that the BJP government after coming to power in 2017 launched a 'War on Drugs' from 2018 as part of the country-wide campaign against drugs launched under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

'Crusade against drugs is not just a mere government programme, it is an intensive mission to protect our future generations and the integrity of our country besides ensuring a brighter future for the young people of the state and the country. There must be a united effort against the drug peddling and drug menace,' the Chief Minister said.

Singh said that the state government is committed to making Manipur a drug-free state. He said that since 2017, various drugs worth around Rs 688 crore have been destroyed so far and more than 2,000 people have been arrested and nearly 200 people convicted in the illegal drug peddling. After completion of judicial procedure, every year seized drugs are destroyed publicly to show the government's transparency, the Chief Minister said.

He also appealed to the people and officials in the state to come forward to combat drugs with all seriousness, and transparency and not to compromise at any cost in illegal drug-related menaces. The Chief Minister also sought the cooperation of local clubs, Meira Paibis, Civil Society Organisations and social workers for a successful and constant drive against drugs.

In Nagaland, the District Drug Disposal Committee destroyed various drugs worth over Rs 35 crore in two operations in Dimapur and Mon districts. Police officials said that the destroyed drugs include brown sugar, heroin, crystal meth, Methamphetamine tablets, cough syrup bottles and opium straw. Methamphetamine, also known as 'ice', 'Yaba' or 'crystal meth', is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

Various drugs, especially heroin and highly addictive methamphetamine tablets are often smuggled into the northeastern states of India from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km-long unfenced border with four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km).

/IANS