KOCHI: The Ernakulam rural police on Thursday carried out ‘Operation De-Weed’, a special drive aimed at identifying people who create fear, nuisance or disturbance in public spaces, and rehabilitating them when required. As part of the one-day operation, the police registered petty cases against 466 people and 105 other offences, resulting in the arrest of 75 people, according to officers with the rural police.
Inspections were conducted at 143 lodges, hotels and other residential facilities. Checks were also carried out at 35 bus stands, 36 migrant-worker accommodations and 102 labour camps. The police collected information from 429 people, while 375 unfamiliar people were subjected to identity verification, the officer said.
Operation De-Weedfocuses on identifying people who remain idle, frequent specific public spaces and are involved in criminal activities.