Manipur Police Seize 15,000 Opioid Capsules Amid Conflict-Driven Narcotics Price Surge
· India · The Hindu, Axios
The Manipur Police arrested two individuals, including a 40-year-old woman, from Thoubal district's Lilong on September 14 after seizing 50 boxes containing 15,000 Tramadol Hydrochloride Tramanil capsules weighing about 7 kilograms. Anti-narcotic officials and counsellors state that drug users in the State are increasingly shifting from heroin and methamphetamine to prescription opioid analgesics due to a sharp rise in narcotic prices driven by the ongoing ethnic conflict. Investigators are working to determine the intended destination of the seized consignment and the extent of the suspects' involvement in illegal distribution. The seizure follows recent incidents involving severe infections and a fatality at an Imphal drug rehabilitation centre linked to the injection of crushed Tapentadol tablets, which are three times as potent as Tramadol. Local reports indicate that while heroin costs nearly ₹5,000 per vial following the outbreak of violence in May 2023, a strip of Tramadol or Ta
Why it matters
The shift toward prescription opioid abuse in conflict-ridden Manipur poses severe public health risks and highlights how prolonged violence distorts local illicit drug markets toward accessible pharmaceutical drugs.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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