KOCHI: Ernakulam witnessed a sharp rise in the number of narcotic cases in 2022. While this is indeed concerning, what hounds Excise officials more is the fact that many youngsters are now active users and involved in the peddling of these drugs in the district.
As per the data from the Excise Department, there were 804 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Ernakulam in 2022. This is 148% of what was reported the previous year (540).
According to R Jayachandran, the Excise Deputy Commissioner, the high number of cases means that there’s now a larger inflow of drugs into the district. “When the number of cases rises, it is also an indicator that more drugs and other narcotic substances are arriving here.
This also points to the fact that there is a high demand for such contrabands in Ernakulam,” Jayachandran said. He added that the Department has ramped up its surveillance and intelligence-gathering activities last year. Checks too are conducted more frequently than before.
A total of 256 people under the age of 25 were held in various NDPS cases in Ernakulam last year. Of them, 236 were booked for possession of drugs in minor quantities, while 20 were held for possession of major-medium quantities of drugs and other narcotic substances. “It is a real concern for us as more youngsters are involved in NDPS cases. This is despite several awareness programmes,” a senior Excise officer said.