Security forces in Manipur's Churachandpur district destroyed approximately 40 acres of illicit poppy fields in the Thangjing hill range. The operation, involving Assam Rifles, Manipur Police, and the Forest Department, targeted poppy plants at the flowering stage. Two farm huts were also burned, and six poppy pods were seized. An FIR has been registered to identify those responsible for the illegal cultivation. The Thangjing Hills area is significant for its religious importance to the Meitei community and its sensitive location within a Kuki-dominated region, amidst ongoing ethnic tensions.