Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday said drug trafficking cases have declined in the state to some extent as people from the hills and valley and security forces have supported the administration in its effort to address the issue.

He also claimed that poppy plantations in the state have also decreased by 50-60 per cent as per satellite data mapping. Singh called for the eradication of drug menace in the state.

“With the active support of the hill village chiefs, valley-based civil societies and security personnel, drug trafficking in the state has declined to some extent..Even poppy plantations have decreased by 50-60 per cent as per satellite data mapping,” he said at an event organised here on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illegal Trafficking. Manipur in the 1990s was badly affected by the drug menace, and the rate of HIV-positive cases was then one of the highest in the country, he said.

Singh also said his government had launched a war against drug abuse, and many smugglers and individuals associated with international cartels were arrested.

The chief minister flagged off a bike rally to observe the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illegal Trafficking from his secretariat.

“More than a hundred officers and security personnel, who are taking part in the rally, will carry the message of the importance of war against cross-border illegal trafficking in the state. With support from the masses, the government will remain committed to uproot the drug menace from the state,” he added