Concerns over the growing misuse of opioid analgesics in Manipur

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Manipur Police on September 14 arrested two persons, including a 40-year-old woman, from Thoubal district in Lilong in connection with the seizure of addictive drugs. The police found 50 boxes with them containing 15,000 capsules of “Tramadol Hydrochloride Tramanil” weighing about 7 kg.

Also Read: Highest Prevalence of Opioid Use Disorders in Eastern Parts of India: UNODC Report

The consignment, allegedly meant for illegal distribution to specific clients, was seized almost a month after the youth died at a drug rehabilitation center in the state capital Imphal. He allegedly injected crushed tablets of Tapentadol, an opioid analgesic three times as effective as Tramadol.

These incidents, and the admission of another Tapentadol user to a drug rehabilitation center with a serious injection-site infection, confirmed what drug officials and counselors had suspected — drug addicts were switching to opioid analgesics available as prescription painkillers from heroin and other narcotics, which have become more expensive due to ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.

“We are investigating to find out the source and intended destination of the tramadol capsules and to determine the extent of involvement of the arrested duo in possession or distribution of the pharmaceutical drug,” a Manipur police officer said.

Police and anti-narcotics agencies in Manipur said data on seizures of opioid analgesics sold or transported illegally in the state was not immediately available. But they said the price factor may have dictated a shift away from methamphetamine and heroin, known locally as No. 4.

High prices

Drug prices have skyrocketed after Manipur descended into seemingly endless violence in May 2023. For example, a bottle of heroin costs nearly ₹5,000, according to local media reports. A strip of Tramadol or Tapentadol costs between ₹40 and ₹400 depending on the strength, brand and manufacturer.

“Tramadol and Tapentadol are pain-relieving compounds derived from opium alkaloids. They are taken for pain relief, euphoria, but can become addictive if taken continuously for several weeks,” Guwahati-based medical specialist Krishanu Krori told The Hindu.

“Addicts increase their dose by injection after usually starting at 50-100 mg. In addition to feeling euphoric, they develop disinterest in daily activities, withdrawal from family and society, and a desire for violence,” he said.

Counselors in Manipur said pharmacists should strictly adhere to prescription requirements and health authorities should monitor emerging patterns of abuse of tramadol and tapentadol. Hospitals and rehabilitation centers also need updated guidance on addiction, withdrawal symptoms and complications associated with its misuse and injection, they said.

Opioid analgesics have also become a concern for law enforcement agencies outside India’s northeastern region. In August, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) uncovered an organized network involved in the clandestine manufacture, concealment and illegal export of these drugs, a scheduled psychotropic substance, to African countries.

The seized items included 100,000 tablets of tramadol hydrochloride, 1,000,000 tablets of Tapentadol, machinery and raw materials. DRI sleuths arrested three key members of the syndicate during an operation at an air cargo complex in Mumbai.

Published – 18 Sep 2026 20:43 IST