KOCHI: Gang wars are becoming frequent in Kochi with most incidents reported from its outskirts like Panangad, Kumbalam and Kumbalangi
Police say gangs are involved in drug peddling, youths becoming easy targets
As drug abuse is rising, Kumbalangi panchayat takes steps to identify vulnerable youths
Taking over from traditional quotation groups, gangs primarily involved in the narcotics business are tightening their hold on the outskirts of the city, say the police. This has also led to a rise in the incidents of gang wars between drug peddlers in recent times. As a result, panchayats including Kumbalangi, where a man was found murdered and his body abandoned in a marsh last week, have decided to act at the grass-root level to overcome the menace of drug peddlers and criminal gangs.
“While the criminal activities of quotation gangs have come down, areas such as Kumbalangi, Panangad and Kumbalam with vast stretches of uninhabited marshy land have become a safe haven for criminal gangs associated with narcotics peddling. There have been many incidents of clashes between rival gangs recently. Most members of these gangs are youngsters who abuse narcotic products. The police and the excise department are primarily depending on information from the public to take action. However, local residents are scared to provide us with the required information because they are afraid of the consequences,” said a police official.
In 2020, 19-year-old Fahad Hussain was murdered as part of a gang war in Panangad-Nettoor area. The police investigation revealed that the people concerned were involved in ganja peddling. A year before that in 2019, 20-year-old Arjun was killed by a gang in Nettoor, and the police found that the arrested people were using the area near the Kumbalam cemetery for drug abuse and trade.
The Kumbalangi panchayat on Thursday decided to form a ward-level committee to deal with the growing menace of gangs involved in drug peddling. As part of it, a ‘Jagratha Committee’ will be constituted in each ward. “Earlier, Kumbalangi was a peaceful area with very few criminal incidents. But in recent times, drug gangs have become very active here. They mostly occupy the isolated marshy lands in the area,” said panchayat president Leeja Thomas Babu.
“The ward-level committee will have seven members, who will inform the panchayat if any criminal activity including drug peddling or abuse is taking place in their neighbourhood. The information will be passed on to the police and excise departments,” said Leeja, who added an awareness programme will be conducted prior to that for the public.
According to Leeja, the police only have little access to the isolated places in the panchayat. “We have only one police outpost in Kumbalangi with a limited number of deputed officials. Even if any information on criminal activities is passed, it will take hours for the police to reach here. By then, the drug peddlers would have vanished,” she said.
Excise Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar said statistics reveale that the flow of ganja in the city has increased in the recent times. However, not much increase is detected of other drugs, he said. “It has come to our notice that drug peddlers are moving from urban to rural areas where our surveillance is less. They camp in an isolated spot for 2-3 days and then move to the next place. Their activities in remote areas can be curtailed only with the assistance of local residents. People should pass on information so that the police and excise teams can bust such gangs. As part of the Vimukthi programme, we are giving awareness to the local residents. Many cases were registered based on their tip-off,” he said.
Growing number of murders
In 2021: A man was found murdered and his body abandoned in a marsh last week in Kumbalangi last week
In 2020: 19-year-old Fahad Hussain was murdered as part of a gang war in Panangad-Nettoor area.
In 2019: 20-year-old Arjun was killed by a gang in Nettoor