Imphal, Feb. 28 -- In a drive against illegal poppy cultivation in the remote hill slopes of Suangkong village in Manipur's Churachandpur district, illicit poppy fields were destroyed on Thursday.

In a collaborative effort, Kuki-Zo tribal villagers, the Manipur Police, and Assam Rifles eradicated approximately ten acres of illicit poppy fields, thwarting a substantial harvest intended for the regional black market.

The targeted poppy fields, nearing their optimal harvesting period, were poised to yield an estimated 50 kilograms of opium, valued at approximately Rs 65,000 in the clandestine regional drug trade.

The operation, executed with precision, involved the meticulous destruction of the poppy flowers, effectively "nipping them in ...