KOCHI: ‘Operation Clean Ernakulam Rural’ has resulted in the arrest of 1,739 persons this year. The anti-narcotic operation, formulated by Ernakulam Rural police chief Vaibhav Saxena, has also seen enhanced enforcement activities in the district.
As of October 30 this year, Ernakulam Rural police registered 1,582 narcotic cases. “We launched the drive to counter the rise in narcotic cases. As part of the operation, police teams even travelled to other states to investigate drug trails and arrest kingpins,” an officer said.
As per data, as much as 202kg of ganja was seized in the Ernakulam Rural police district this year, besides 2.5kg of MDMA. Officers also seized 200g of heroin, 77g of hashish oil, 170g of brown sugar, seven LSD stamps, seven grams of methamphetamine, and 1,275 ganja beedis. Nine persons were placed under preventive detention for their involvement in drug peddling by evoking the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
“Within Thadiyittaparam station limits alone, officers arrested 11 persons and seized over 100kg of ganja. In June, we arrested a woman with over 1kg of MDMA who procured drugs from Delhi and attempted to smuggle it inside a water heater. We foiled multiple smuggling attempts and seized large quantities of drugs,” an officer said.
Police have already enhanced surveillance activities at entry points and railway stations, which are the main landing points for drugs from other states. Last week, three persons, including two women, who attempted to smuggle 36kg of ganja were arrested from Odisha. Police are running another special drive named ‘Clean Perumbavoor’ to prevent the flow of drugs to the area which is heavily populated by migrant workers.
Officers are conducting awareness programmes to ensure youngsters do not fall into the traps of peddlers. Campaigns are also being run on social media. Police have decided to enhance enforcement activities as drugs are smuggled from other states in large quantities in the run-up to Christmas and New Year festivities. The excise department will also conduct a special drive to prevent the flow of drugs in December.