
KOCHI: Launched to tackle drugs-related crime, Operation Clean Ernakulam has seen the Ernakulam Rural police arrest 2,217 people under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2024. As many as 2,037 cases -— including 10 cases involving commercial quantities of narcotic substances — were registered under the act last year.
In these cases, the police seized 270kg of cannabis, 2.5kg of MDMA and methamphetamine, 230g of heroin, 90g of hashish oil, 180g of brown sugar, 8 LSD stamps, 1,650 cannabis-laced beedis, and 13 cannabis plants grown in pots from various parts of the district.
Further, 12 people were taken into custody under the preventive detention provisions of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act to curb drug abuse and sales. In a recent raid, prohibited tobacco products worth `3 crore — stored in 500 sacks — were also seized from Mudickal near Perumbavoor.
“We are united in our efforts to combat drug-related crimes, and the results are evident in these figures of seizures and apprehensions,” a senior police officer told TNIE.
“Our primary focus is on identifying the sources of drugs, break the supply chains, and ultimately reducing demand.”
At the same time, experts are alarmed by the rise in the number of drug users.
“The figures reflect the growing user base and the rising demand for drugs,” said senior psychiatrist Dr C J John.
“While these numbers might only represent the tip of the iceberg, the efforts in apprehension and seizure are commendable.”
He also expressed concern over the normalisation of cannabis use and the increasing pro-legalisation narratives that highlight its legality in other countries and purported health benefits.
“In the past, narcotic drugs were primarily used by individuals struggling with depression or those from negative backgrounds. However, drug use has now expanded among young people, particularly during parties, tours, and even casual get-togethers. Labelling drugs as a medium for recreation, peer acceptance, or enhancing celebrations has significantly contributed to the rise in usage among youth,” Dr John.
He also pointed out that movies and web series often portray drug use as common, indirectly framing it as a tool for enjoyment and celebration.
PROMINENT DRUG SEIZURES IN 2024
The kingpin of MDMA supply, Regnar Paul, a Congo national, was dramatically apprehended by Ernakulam Rural police from Bengaluru. Paul, known as a ‘cook’ in the drug-distributing circle, was a key player in transporting MDMA to multiple states including Kerala. His apprehension followed by the arrest of Vipin John, a 27-year-old Karunagapally resident, for smuggling 200g of MDMA (worth approximately J10 lakh) at Angamaly on May 3 while he was travelling in a tourist bus.
Sarmeen Akhtar, a woman who smuggled MDMA worth over J50 lakh, was arrested at the Aluva railway station in June. She hid one kilogram of MDMA in a water heater brought from Delhi. Additionally, 300g of MDMA were seized from the Chandrappura area in Kalady.
Three persons, including a woman, were arrested at TB Junction, Angamaly, with 200g of MDMA. The team smuggled the drugs from Bengaluru in a jeep.
On Anti-Drug Day, inspections in Angamaly and Nedumbassery areas led to the arrest of two persons and the seizure of 375g of synthetic drugs worth lakhs.
A gang of three was caught with J20-lakh worth of heroin packed in soap boxes from Kalady. That marked the district’s largest heroin seizure in recent times.