KOCHI: It was in 2011 the enforcement agencies had made the first seizure of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in Kochi. Till then, police and excise’s anti-narcotic squads had not dealt with this chemical drug. Now, at least 10 cases are being detected every month, indicating that cartels are pumping high-dose drugs like LSD to the business capital of Kerala.
In the last two days, enforcement agencies arrested two youth who were allegedly selling LSD stamps in Kochi. The excise team on Thursday arrested a youth with 25 3 Dots LSD stamps, which is one of the high-valued drugs available in the country. Shadow police on Friday arrested another youth with five LSD stamps from Kochi. Over 120 LSD stamps have been recovered by both police and excise officials this year alone.
Excise Assistant Commissioner of Ernakulam Ashok Kumar said LSD abuse has increased substantially over the years. “For drug peddlers, smuggling LSD is an easy task. As it is in the stamp form, it is very hard to be detected during checking. Similarly, LSD gives a high that lasts for more than 24 hours. Now, more than ganja, abuse of chemical drugs is on the rise in Kochi city as well as the district,” he said.
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Ashok Kumar said that LSD variants are mostly manufactured at secret labs located in Goa and Bengaluru. “In most cases, LSDs seized here are supplied from Goa. We also get cases in which LSDs are sourced from Bengaluru. However, tracing the manufacturing units and people behind the racket is a daunting task. The drug peddlers from Kerala procure them through agents. The peddlers are never familiar with manufacturers. In most cases, LSD stamps are brought through the rail route,” he said.
The value of stamps differs according to the quantity of LSD applied over it. The drug abusers stick the LSD stamp inside their lips or on their tongue. However, even a slight increase in LSD quantity can claim the life of the abuser. Possessing stamps with 0.1 gm of LSD can attract a punishment of up to 20 years of imprisonment.
In June this year, the shadow squad of Kochi City Police had arrested two youths with 60 LSD stamps. The data with police reveal that drug seizure cases registered have increased two-fold in the last four years. This year, 56 NDPS cases are being registered by Kochi City Police alone every month on average. “Bringing a drug abuser back to normal life is not an easy task. Only if the person is willing to put an end to drug abuse, deaddiction methods become successful. In most cases, drug abusers never want to get relieved from the addiction,” Ashok Kumar said.