KOCHI: The excise department is stepping up surveillance ahead of Christmas, New Year celebrations to curb the flow of drugs into the city. Events and in-house parties involving youngsters will be under scanner.
A 24-hour control room has been opened to gather information on peddlers and carriers who bring drugs to such parties. According to officials, a team headed by an excise inspector has been set up in every taluk.
Hard drugs like methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) gaining popularity among youngsters is another concern, say officials. Around 70 grams of MDMA were seized last year in the district, according to excise deputy commissioner and Nasha Mukt Bharat in-charge Anil Kumar. Ganja also is in high demand and almost 53kg was seized last year.
“We are not against gatherings where people relax and enjoy. Events organised with proper licence and without any malicious activities will not be disturbed. Our focus is on parties being held off-books, focusing on youngsters. Hotels do not need a separate licence for holding DJ parties. The scene turns dirty when drugs are involved,” said Anil Kumar.
Secret Whatsapp groups
While the older population is heavily into alcohol consumption, youngsters are relying on synthetic drugs, said the officials.
They hinted about secret parties being held in the city in rented houses and flats. Only those connected to the drug network have access to them.
“Secret WhatsApp groups are created for a short period to plan and execute drug parties. The location is revealed only a day before the event. Deals worth lakhs of rupees occur at such parties, and due to the secrecy of location and time, we find it hard to pin them down,” said an excise official.
A tipoff by one of the members led a team to a resort in Wayanad, but the organisers quickly realised the information was leaked and vacated the place before the police came.
More youngsters at rehabs
Mukti Sadan rehabilitation centre’s director Fr Joseph Parekkattil confirmed youngsters in the 18-35 age group are developing an addiction to ganja and synthetic drugs more than alcohol.
Women too are falling prey to this trend.
“Twenty women and 38 men are currently undergoing treatment at different Mukti Sadan centres. More than 50% of the inmates are youngsters addicted to ganja and MDMA,” the director said.
Special month-long drive
A special drive against drug traffickers is being held from December 4 to January 3, 2022. Public can inform the control room about any suspicious activity involving illicit drugs or liquor.
The drive is jointly carried out by excise, forest, revenue, police, drugs and food and safety departments. Vehicles will be checked during night patrolling, added the officials.
Officials have been directed to act within two minutes of receiving a complaint. A special task force will deal with those complaints. Drones will be used to search the areas with suspicious activities.
A group of shadow excise and excise intelligence groups has also been deployed to bust the drug/liquor networks opearting in city limits.
All abkari, narcotic and Medicinal and Toilet Preparations (M&TP)-licenced organisations will undergo frequent checks to ensure that no malpractice is involved.