ANTF Reconstituted for War on Drugs 2.0 – Will They Have the Guts to Arrest the Big Players?

On the 23rd of September, an order by the Governor reconstituted the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) for the State of Manipur. The task force includes 18 members (previously 10 members) including three IGP, Director ICAR, Joint Secretary (Home,GoM), DC/SPs of concerned districts, Directors of TA & Hills, Social welfare, Horticulture, MARSAC, Forensic Science, Additional District Magistrate(Imphal West and East), SP Narcotics Bureau Manipur(NCB), Head of NCB Manipur. The 18 members will also include two government advocates which are to be nominated by the Commissioner of Law, Representative of Cyber Corporation (IT) to be nominated by Director IT GoM and representative of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest. The objective of this ANTF is to bring all concerned stakeholders in a single platform for effective co-ordination and implementation of War on Drug-2.0 and Anti-Drug Campaign Activities in the State. The order also stated that ANTF shall immediately start ground verification of data provided by the NCB. It further said that the CAPF and other security forces shall aid the team.To prevent smuggling along border areas, the Assam Rifles has been empowered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 to make interdiction of drugs.

“The destruction operations shall also be planned carefully by the ANTF” and the ground teams will work under the close guidance of NCB using ‘MAPDRUGS’ (Android mobile application) during ground survey, verification, destruction operations and feed ground data so that accurate data can be captured in the database for record and necessary action in future.

According to government records, opium poppy cultivation in the state is mainly done in 12 of the 16 districts-Imphal East, Bishnupur, Kakching, Noney, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Churachandpur, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Chandel.According to Manipur’s Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB), poppy cultivation was spread across over 15,000 acres of land between 2017 and 2023 and more than 2,000 people have been arrested during this period.

The Kuki community welcomes the initiative of the Narcotics Control Bureaus’ War on Drugs -2.0. It is believed that the ANTF would not be impartial and would not target particular communities just like the Chief Minister did in the months leading to the conflict. In fact, it is highly recommended that the ANTF start their investigation with N.Biren Singh, his second wife Olice and Imphal base Drug Lords. Manipur’s drug trade will come to a halt once these Kingpins and Drug Lords are held accountable regardless of their political hierarchy or connection they have in the political system. If you want to kill a Snake cut off /Crush its head, it is the most efficient and quickest way. However, it takes a lot of bravery to aim for the head. Are the 18 member ANTF brave enough to take on the head of the Snake? This we shall see in the coming months.