KOCHI: At a time when Covid-19 is making its second wave, rave parties are back in Kochi. A surprise raid on luxury hotels in the city was conducted jointly with the Customs and Excise department on Saturday night. Rave parties in the city have turned to be a place for drug peddling among youngsters.
“Rave parties were very frequent in Kochi some time back. After the outbreak of Covid 19, these parties were on hold due to restrictions in place. But slowly these parties started to pop up. Last week also we had raided a few hotels in Kochi and Saturday’s raid followed information from our sources,” said T A Ashok Kumar, deputy excise commissioner, Ernakulam. During the raid, four people, including a DJ, were arrested. “1.6 grams of MDMA and 50 grams of ganja were seized from the rave parties,” he added.
According to Ashok Kumar raiding such get-togethers thoroughly is the only way to control drug peddling at parties. The organisers rely on social media platforms for holding such drug parties in Kochi. “Hotels need to be more vigilant while giving permission to conduct such parties. They need to ensure that no drugs are used in parties,” said Ashok Kumar. Another point the officer highlighted was that youths are attracted to these parties.
“Youngsters, both girls and boys, who come from good social background are the ones mainly attending these parties. “Parents need to be more responsible about their children’s whereabouts, especially during the night. This will surely help in controlling youth from getting exposed to drug parties in the city,” he added.
According to a source from Holiday Inn, “It is true that raid was held by the Customs and Excise department, but no drugs were seized from here. While holding such parties we ensure tight security to prevent the use of drugs. But someone booking a room and using drugs is something we cannot control,” the source said.
Drug use among youngsters in the state is rising by the day. One of the main reasons is the lack of proper awareness about the dangerous side of using MDMA and LSD. “Youngsters in Kerala are using multiple drugs, which is unsafe. MDMA and LSD are commonly used party drugs,” said Francis Moothedan Raphel, project director and chief trainer, MMM IRCA, a de-addiction centre.
“This can only be prevented if the right education and awareness is given to the children at a younger age. Children should be taught about the good and bad side of using drugs with facts,” he added.