CHENNAI: Apartments rented by students of private colleges in southern suburbs of the city are controlled by history-sheeters selling drugs, illicit liquor and hookah, the Tambaram police said, after conducting raids at 500 houses of a gated community in Potheri about 50km south of Chennai on Saturday.
Police said they registered 20 cases and arrested 21 people, including 11 students of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) and a history-sheeter named Selvamani (29) who deals in narcotics.
In a press note, police said that based on information, around 1,000 personnel spread across 168 teams raided the “crime-infested Abode Valley” apartment complex in Potheri, which has 688 flats accommodating around 3,000 students. This led to the seizure of around half a kilogram ganja from 15 students in the form of the contraband, six chocolates and five bhang balls. Tobacco (hookah), a smoking pot, seven hookah machines, six kg of hookah powder and a huge cache of liquor bottles were also seized.
Police said a total of 2.25 kg of ganja and five swords and knives were seized from Selvamani’s residence in Guduvanchery. Police also arrested the owner of a local eatery, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, for selling ganja chocolates to students.
Police said rowdies and former students exploit other students and make money. Selvamani is accused of threatening university students.
The release said police have secured digital data to identify criminals supplying drugs and influencing innocent students to consume contraband and make them a “pawn in the extortion business”.
Investigation will look into whether some students were procuring drugs and selling them to others as a side-business, sources said. SRMIST could not be reached for comment.
