Continuous crackdowns and strict action by Excise authorities have failed to deter drug peddlers from selling ganja and other narcotic products to students.
There has been a rise in detection of sale of narcotics and tobacco substances from the premises of educational institutions, say officials with the Excise department, who intercepted 677 persons in the district for selling narcotic products. Across the state, 4,709 such cases were registered last year, with the highest number of cases – 2,024 – registered in Thiruvananthapuram district. With 820 cases, Kollam district was in second place, while Ernakulam district was in third.
In January this year, the department confiscated more than 21kg of ganja and registered 67 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in the district. Besides ganja, 7.3gm of MDMA, 17.8gm of hashish, 1gm of brown sugar, 10 Nitrazepam tablets, four ampules of Buprenorphine and 0.165gm of LSD were also seized in the period. “We are keeping a close watch on miscreants and conducting frequent raids to break the supply chain on the premises of educational institutions,” said Sajith Kumar, assistant commissioner (Excise), Kochi.
Recently, sleuths had arrested Malappuram natives Mohammed Suhail, 21, and Anees Mon, 23, from Aluva with 4kg of ganja. The officers said the duo was part of a racket that supplies drugs to students.
Drug abuse on rise
Increasing cases of drug abuse among students are another issue before the officials. They said anti-narcotics clubs, comprising police, students and teachers' representatives, have been set up in educational institutions to combat the trend. Officers said there was an increase in drug abuse among all categories of people, especially adolescents and children.
Just the tip of the iceberg
Kochi: Since 2018, there have been several major seizures of MDMA in the city. However, the seized MDMA is just 10 to 15 per cent of the actual quantity of the drug that is being brought here, said officials. The first major seizure was in September 2018 when Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotic Special Squad seized 30kg of MDMA worth I200 crore from a private courier service firm operating near Shenoys Junction on MG Road. In January 2019, Jaseem, 24, and Abdul Raheem, 22, of Kodungallur were arrested from Aluva for carrying 12gm of MDMA. The accused later confessed to sourcing the drug from a foreigner in Bengaluru.
4,709 cases of students being sold drugs registered across the state in 2019
2,024
cases registered in capital district in 2019 in connection with drugs being sold to students
820
such cases registered in Kollam last year
7.3gm
MDMA seized by sleuths in January this year
2
Malappuram natives nabbed recently with 4kg of ganja. They are believed to be part of a racket that supplies ganja to students
Students were Jentu’s main targets
Excise inspector (Aluva range) T K Gopi said the drug mafia mainly targeted students as it was easy to turn them into drug peddlers. “At first, dealers provide the ganja to students for free. When the students become addicts, the dealers start demanding money. Those unable to pay are forced to become drug peddlers. Students too take up peddling as there is good money in it. Since most students carry out the deals while wearing their uniforms, it is difficult to identify and nab them,” he said.
