KOCHI: Corroborating the rising number of drug abuse cases in the state, data released by the Excise Department here on Thursday showed a tenfold increase in such cases during the past 10 months.
As per the data, the department has lodged 3,600 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrested 3,900 persons during the past 10 months. However, the number of cases registered under NDPS in 2014 was just 900.
“Though there is no report to justify liquor prohibition resulted in the rising drug abuse, the trend shows prohibition played a major role in increasing Excise cases. This is a dangerous situation as more people are getting addicted to drugs,” Excise Commissioner Rishiraj Singh told reporters.
According to him, the drug mafia is concentrating mainly on two sectors - students and migrant workers - to lure them into drugs.
“Most drug abuse cases were reported from near school and college premises. Around 3 lakh kg of chewing tobacco was also seized from migrant workers. There is a definite case of more people taking to drugs and these figures paint a frightening picture of the grip the culture exerts on the young,” Singh said.
Apart from the drugs cases, bootlegging and illicit brewing too is rising. “During the past 10 months alone, 10,400 litres of illicit liquor and 2,780 litres of spirit were seized. In addition, we have seized 1.48 litres of wash, 10,200 litres of toddy and 22,200 litres of ‘arishtam’.
The volume of Indian Made Foreign Liquor seized was around 34,600 litres,” he said. Around 1,420 vehicles used for bootlegging were also seized by the department.
“We could amass a revenue of Rs 2 crore to the state exchequer through the drive,” he said.
The department is also planning to conduct a study on the rising number of drug cases in the state. “A proposal has been sent to the state government for constituting a team comprising a psychologist, sociologist, education expert and a food safety expert,” he said.