KOCHI: With Christmas celebrations and New Year parties just around the corner, the excise and police departments have initiated anti-narcotic measures early this time to curtail the flow of drugs to Kochi and other parts of Ernakulam district. The excise department will be launching its special drive from December 5 while the police have already started collecting details of drug peddlers and the parties organised this month.
Ernakulam Excise Deputy Commissioner B Tennymon said drug peddlers have started pushing narcotic substances into the district. The excise, police and other government agencies will put in a coordinated effort during the season, he said.
“At this time of the year, drug racketeers start stocking narcotic products considering the events centred around Christmas and New Year. We anticipated it and have already started checking. This has resulted in major drug busts in recent weeks. Some of the arrested persons were key suppliers of drugs to events,” Tennymon said.
In Kalamassery, the excise busted a gang and recovered over 120 grams of MDMA, he said. “We also arrested a three-member group that was supplying drugs to parties and organising rave parties across south India.The excise’s special drive will continue till the first week of January.
“Checking will be intensified as part of the special drive. Special squads are being formed for the purpose. The plan is to curtail all attempts to smuggle drugs through the road, rail and sea routes. Drug peddlers are cunning people and we have to anticipate their modi operandi to bust them,” he said.
The Kochi City police recently arrested Panampilly Nagar resident Amal Nair, who had been in the drug-peddling business over the past two years. The police claim he was one of the key peddlers in Kochi, sourcing drugs from Bengaluru. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kochi, K S Sudarsan said the police have started collecting information about events slated for the Christmas-New Year season.
“We will monitor all events to be held in Kochi this month to ensure that no drug abuse happens in these events. The drug peddlers are also being monitored,” Sudarsan said.