KOCHI: Narcotics is a dirty business, a much-loved Malayali don once cautioned. But, good advice often falls on deaf ears. The dirty stuff has taken root in Kerala, and the business has, sadly, been flourishing in Kochi.
Drug hauls have ceased to shock people here, akin to gold smuggling cases. While psychotropic drugs still trigger a sense of worry, ganja cases have been normalised, almost. The latest one that left city residents ‘amused’ was the detection of a 110cm-tall ganja plant near a Kochi Metro pillar in Palarivattom on Tuesday.
Excise officers sneer as one inquires about the case. It’s nothing new, they say. In recent years, ganja plants have been increasingly spotted at public spaces, an officer adds. In 2021, as many as 780 ganja plants (including organised cultivation) were recovered from various parts of Kerala. In most cases, the ‘farmers’ remain untraced.
The same year saw 16 ganja plants being detected in Kochi. Eleven cases were registered, but no arrests have been made yet. This year, 22 ganja plants have been spotted in the city, and one arrest has been made in the seven cases registered.
‘Up to 10 years in jail’
Such cases indicate an increase in ganja abuse, say officials. Ernakulam Excise Deputy Commissioner P V Elias believes, in many cases, the ganja plants grow from the seeds discarded by abusers.
“While rolling ganja for the abuse, the users leave out the seeds,” he says. “These seeds, when watered well, sprout and grow quickly. Many people might not how a ganja plant looks like. There are numerous incidents of ganja plant recovery from common places. There are also cases in which people intentionally grew one or two plants.”
Last year, Excise officers found a big ganja plant at a cemetery in Fort Kochi. A probe revealed that ganja abusers used to sneak into the cemetery at night for some holy smoke time. The plant, officers believe, grew from the seeds they discarded.
There, however, have been cases in which ganja was grown at homes. “Last month, we had a case in Perumb=avoor, where a migrant worker cultivated 13 ganja plants in growbags,” Elias notes. “While some of them cultivate ganja for personal use, there are cases in which the motive is peddling. Growing ganja plants is a serious crime and can attract up to 10 years of imprisonment.”
What happens after detection?
Several legal procedures have to be followed, says Ernakulam Excise Circle Inspector P Anwar Sadath. “It is the court that takes a sample from the seized plant and forwards it to the chemical laboratory for the examination. After confirmation from the lab, an investigation is carried out,” he explains.
“The plant is stored at the court as evidence. As far as the seizure of the plant in between the Metro pillars at Palarivattom is concerned, we will launch a probe soon. Currently, we suspect some abuser might have thrown the seeds there. We will check whether anyone deliberately grew the plant. People who have been maintaining the garden between the Metro pillars will be quizzed.”
If you spot pot…
In case you spot a ganja plant near your home or outdoors, be sure to pass the information on to the local Excise office, its deputy commissioner’s office or call the toll-free number of the department. According to sleuths, the informer will stay anonymous and kept away from any legal consequences that could ensue. The statement of the informer will be recorded. Excise officials said that in a majority of ganja plant seizure cases, the court procedures are minimal as making an arrest is hard.
High numbers