KOCHI: The enforcement agencies are facing a new challenge in keeping the flow of ganja and other drugs into the city in check as local youths and migrant labourers are ganging up to bring the contraband from other states and rural areas. In several cases, sleuths found that migrant workers helped the local youths source cannabis from West Bengal, Odisha, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
According to the police, several migrant workers bring cheap quality ganja from other states and sell it among other labourers and students here. The police said rackets operating in states like Odisha and West Bengal are engaged in transporting banned tobacco products, ganja, and other drugs to the state. “The carriers bring the contraband via train and sell them to the local youths,” said a police source. Last year alone, about 200 kg of ganja was seized in Ernakulam rural area.
“Many migrant workers are bringing the contraband to the state with the local support. Currently, the ganja inflow to the state is mainly from Odisha,” said K A Abdul Salam, ACP, Narcotic Cell, Kochi City Police.
On Monday, the police arrested two youths who smuggled in 31 kg of ganja from Andhra Pradesh through a courier service. Muhammed Muneer, 27, of Thangalam in Kothamangalam, and Arshad, 35, of Marambilly, were nabbed when the duo reached the courier office near Perumbavoor to take the parcels containing ganja. The cannabis were packed in small bags and delivered in three large parcels.
“The local youths have been employing new methods for bringing ganja. It is suspected that the migrant workers helped the perpetrators source the contraband from Andhra Pradesh. The police are also investigating whether the accused used the courier service method earlier,” said an officer with the investigation team.
The police said the duo brought ganja under the guise of transporting textiles. The police are yet to trace the person who sent the cannabis as the address and the phone number used for dispatching the contraband were fake. The investigators have begun examining the address and phone number mentioned on the cover of the parcel. A special team, led by Ernakulam Rural SP K Karthick, will investigate the case. “We will take steps to attach the properties of the accused,” said Karthick.