KOCHI: Are shooting locations a safe haven for drug abuse? Yet another dirty secret crawls out from under the carpet with the arrests of a few youths who have been smuggling ganja allegedly meant for distribution at film and TV serial sets. It has brought the spotlight back on the startling fact that psychedelic drug abuse is going on unabatedly at shooting locations, right under the nose of the police.
As many as five youths were arrested for making drug runs to the locations while 10 persons, associated with the film industry, were held for drug abuse on the sets in the past four days.
“This is not a big revelation. Everybody knows but no one dares to question. Many new actors and even directors use one or other drug. It has become a normal affair just like smoking a cigarette. Some take it to enhance ‘creativity’ while others indulge in drugs to get a high. It’s always been there in the industry,” said a youth, who is an assistant director. He requested not to be named.
A team led by shadow SI Honey K Das busted a three-member racket comprising Ijaz (29), Naushir (26) (both natives of Kalpetta, Wayanad) and Anas (25) from Cherthala - and recovered seven kilograms of ganja from their possession on Wednesday. The accused were arrested from Container road near Mulavukadu while they were transporting the contraband. Shobin (32) of Vyttila, who was an accomplice of the three-member gang, was arrested on Thursday. The investigation is going on under the South CI and Central CI.
According to the officers, the arrested were part of a drug racket which smuggled ganja from Odisha. It is said, ganja is being cultivated in the villages bordering the forests in Rayagada district along the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha border. The cultivation is going on in full scale due to the absence of police personnel along the border. Smugglers procure the contraband directly from farmers.
Ganja is also brought from the border districts of Andhra and Odisha. At Mattikona in Raigada, Lakshmipur and Kandeshu it is being grown with the help of Maoists, said police officers. Smugglers then transport the consignment from Rayagada to Visakhapatnam by bus. It is then transported to Kochi in trailers that transport cars to the state in order to evade police inspection. Ganja from Odisha known as ‘Sheelavathi ganja’ is sold in the city as ‘Idukki gold’ for Rs 20,000 per kilogram at the shooting locations.One of the culprits, Anas runs a catering service near Ernakulam North Railway station and sells ganja to the locations under the guise of his business.
In another big bust, the Info Park police arrested 12 youths, all associated with film production, from two flats in Edachira on Sunday. Aby Baby (23) of Kottarakkara and Arun (28) of Puliyanam were arrested for possessing charas. While the rest were held for abusing ganja, said the officers.
Police officers said they have intensified measures to curb the smuggling of drugs to shooting locations..
The modus operandi
One of the culprits, Anas runs a catering service near Ernakulam North Railway station and sells ganja to the locations under the guise of his business. According to police officers, the accused sells the cannabis to persons associated with the film industry. They then hand it over to the technicians and artists. Police officers said they are on the look out for those associated with the racket.
The police will continue operations against ganja peddling in the city in the coming days. We have registered cases under the NDPS Act and investigations are underway. The drive against drug smuggling will be intensified
- M P Dinesh, City Police Commissioner
In grip of drug-induced euphoria
1. Five youths were arrested for making drug runs to the locations while 10 persons, associated with the film industry, were held for drug abuse on the sets in the past four days
2. The arrested were part of a drug racket which smuggled ganja from Odisha
3. Ganja is brought from the border districts of Andhra and Odisha. At Mattikona in Raigada, Lakshmipur and Kandeshu it is being grown with the help of Maoists
4. Ganja from Odisha known as ‘Sheelavathi ganja’ is sold in the city as ‘Idukki gold’ for Rs 20,000 per kilogram at the shooting locations
5. In another big bust, the Info Park police arrested 12 youths, all associated with film production, from two flats in Edachira on Sunday