That Kerala is in the grip of a drug menace is not new. It’s the scale and newer methods of distribution that are disturbing. While the sharp rise in the number of seizures and cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act indicates the larger amounts smuggled in, revelations about the new methods adopted by the gangs are matters of concern.
Nearly 42,000 NDPS cases have been registered in Kerala in the last one-and-a-half years and about 41,500 people, including peddlers and abusers, have been booked. The number of cases jumped from 9,245 in 2019 to 26,619 in 2022 and 30,697 in 2023. As many as 18,342 cases have been booked this year till July 31. While the enforcement agencies attribute the rise to increased detection, it’s a fact that a big chunk of the drugs goes undetected.
Another disturbing trend is drug rackets increasing their reliance on women and minors, using them as carriers and peddlers. Adopted to avoid detection and expand reach, this shift comes at a grave cost to society. In June, it was revealed that a Bengaluru-based woman who was arrested in Aluva near Kochi with a kilogram of MDMA had been making frequent drug runs to Kerala.
Since 2021, as many as 153 women and 147 minors have been arrested in drug-related cases in the state. Last year, the police cracked a case in which a Class 8 girl was being used as a smuggler-cum-peddler; her testimony helped uncover a racket involving schoolchildren, and tales of torture and abuse.
The police say women are often lured into smuggling under the guise of romantic relationships and entangled with the threat of exposing embarrassing videos. According to them, 30 percent of cases registered last year in Kochi involved women.
Add to these the arrival of new drugs like ‘hydro ganja’—a more potent and expensive variety—and the scene gets scarier. A man arriving from Bangkok was recently arrested with over Rs 2.5 crore worth of it. These troubling developments underscore the need to up vigil, increase awareness, and strengthen detection and enforcement.
Rather than cracking down on local gangs and peddlers alone, the authorities must focus on choking interstate and international smuggling routes to stem the flow. What is being done at present to curtail the menace is clearly not enough.