KASARGOD: In his last week’s sermon, Abdul Majeed Baqavi, the khatib of the historic Malik Deenar Juma Mosque in Thalangara, Kasargod, launched a tirade against ganja.Among many things, he gave strict instruction to youngsters going abroad not to help others by taking their parcels along, for they may contain ganja. “Youngsters struggle to go to the Gulf to earn a living. But without revealing the content, his friends give him packets of ganja to be taken abroad. When they get caught abroad, the betrayers, who live among us, laugh it off,” he said. “Those going to the Gulf should take only their goods because no one can be trusted nowadays,” said the influential khatib. The audio clip of the sermon has since gone viral on social media and messaging apps, and has found large acceptance among people. His outburst is not without reason or precedent.
Middle east connect
Police officers say Kasargod residents are putting themselves at a huge risk by transporting narcotics and weeds to the Middle East countries, where punishment could be even death penalty. “Sometimes, the carriers are tricked. But often they do it for money,” said Vidyanagar sub-inspector Ajith Kumar. He cites the example of the three persons arrested in Kanhangad on May 22. Officers intercepted a car on its way to Kochi International Aiport and seized 12.88 kg of marijuana from it. They were on their way to Kochi to board a flight to Qatar. One of the accused reportedly told police that he was transporting the contraband for a fee of Rs 1 lakh per kilogram of marijuana. They allegedly bought the marijuana from an agent in Kumbla for Rs 1.30 lakh.
Schoolchildren vulnerable
In a community meeting he organised in Thalangara for the families affected by cannabis, many parents opened up, but the story of a father was particularly heart wrenching. He saw his son, a schoolboy, suddenly keeping to himself. “He left home for school early and returned late. We found something amiss but could not figure it out,” he said at the meeting. Later, one day around Rs 20,000 went missing from his cupboard, and he had to call in the police. Investigating officers immediately got the whiff of it, and questioned the son, who confessed to the crime. “He resorted to stealing to fund his ganja habit,” said the heartbroken father. PThe vicinity of Malabar Islamic Complex Arts and Science College (MIC), Kasargod, Chattanchal Higher Secondary School, Dera City mall near Old Bus Stand are hotbeds of peddlers, said Vidyanagar SI Ajith Kumar. Once under the grip of ganja, schoolboys could also be subjected to sexual abuse, said officers. Many peddlers are students themselves. Kasargod students do not look up for courses to pursue after class 10, said district police chief Thomson Jose at an anti-drugs awareness camp in Kasargod.
Ties to Tuni
Traffickers modify their vehicles to build secret racks and platforms to smuggle in the contraband, said Balakrishnan. “Most of the ganja to Kasargod comes from Tuni and Maredumilli in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. They come via Mangalore,” he said. Trails of the kingpins often go cold at Tuni. “The growing ares are deep inside the forests controlled by the Maoists,” he said.In the first week of July, Hyderabad police seized over 2 tonnes of ganja on the outskirts of the city and held 3 persons.
Play by the book
Though ganja could be the root of several kinds of crimes, police officers said, they do not have the resources to give it the top priority or go after the kingpins. “We are not able to go beyond the carriers,” said Hosdurg circle inspector Sunilkumar C K. He was part of several big hauls in the district.
The peddlers know the law and play by it, making it difficult to extract the little information they have,” said the officers.
Possession of up to 1 kg of ganja is a bailable offence. “So their packets will surely weigh less than 1 kg, which can actually cater to a whole lot of buyers,” he said. Moreover, in the handbook for field officers, the Narcotics Control Bureau lays down several mandatory procedures to conduct a body search of a suspect. Before the officers go to search a suspect, they must inform the suspect his legal right to be searched in the presence of a gazetted officer or a magistrate. This should be informed in writing in the form of a notice. If the person opts to be searched before a magistrate or a gazetted officer, then he must be produced before such authority who will then decide whether s/he should be searched or otherwise.
“The drug traffickers know all these rules. Once an accused was acquitted because I did not use the word ‘right’ while informing him of the law,” said Sunilkumar. The paper work and the procedures to follow under the NDPS Act are long and a minor lapse could lead to acquittal, he said.