KOCHI: Seems like the need for ‘new high’ is going up in the city. High-end mind-altering drugs seem to have found a niche market in Kochi, according to the officers. It is suspected huge quantities of magic mushrooms, LSD and MDMA drugs are flowing into the city targeting youths. Magic mushroom from Munnar and Kodaikanal is being brought to the city as per demand.
The Excise sleuths on Sunday had arrested Muthukumar, 29, from Nallathanni, Devikulam, Idukki with 40 magic mushrooms weighing around 80 gm. Excise officers said the accused used to sell the contraband at a rate as high as Rs 2,000 per mushroom.
While the use of ganja can be detected through its smell, the magic mushroom has no such issues. Users chew it for a high. Some agents who smuggle the contraband into the city operate from Tamilnadu.
“We have started an inquiry. It seems that the drug users are exploring new options and hence the demand for this kind of contraband are going up”, said Excise Deputy Commissioner A S Ranjith.
As magic mushrooms appear similar to edible mushrooms, it is difficult to differentiate between the two. According to Excise officers, magic mushrooms were natural products while LSD and MDMA drugs were synthetic. They are usually grown in places with very low temperature. “Psilocybin and Gymnopilus mushrooms are usually used to achieve euphoria. The seized contraband has been sent to a scientific examination as part of the probe,” said an officer.
The City Shadow Police is frequently conducting raids and confiscating contrabands. The last month, the sleuths arrested two youths--Mohammed Jabreel, 24, a student of AR Rahman Musical College, Chennai and his aide Shiras, 28, of Aluva-- and seized LSD stamps and Hashish oil. The duo was part of the racket having links in Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and Bangalore. The accused had smuggled about 175 LSD stamps and 5 gm of Hash oil in the gap of three weeks before their arrest.
NDPS cases in the city
2016-1,164
2017-1,673
2018-1,104