KOCHI: Amid the intensified crackdown on drug abuse and trafficking, the Ernakulam Rural area has seen a drastic surge in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance (NDPS) cases, arrests, and seizures.
Police already registered 3,209 narcotic-related cases, leading to 3,397 arrests, across the district as of September 30, marking a notable increase from 2,037 cases and 2,217 arrests recorded in the whole of last year. Among these NDPS cases, 18 involved commercial quantities of drugs, a source with Ernakulam Rural police said.
Drug-enforcement operations led by district police chief M Hemalatha have yielded remarkable results, the officer said.
Police confiscated 475kg of cannabis this year, compared with 270kg in 2024. Among the major busts were the seizure of 90kg of cannabis near Thadiyittaparambu police station, leading to the arrest of three people; the confiscation of 60kg in two separate cases under Kalady police station limits, resulting in the arrest of five migrant workers; and, the interception of 24kg of cannabis concealed inside bicycle pumps in Nedumbassery, in which an inter-state trafficker was arrested, the officer added.
An officer with the Rural Dansaf squad said that most of the cannabis entering Kerala is sourced from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal, and is often trafficked by migrant workers.
“They purchase cannabis locally for around Rs 2,000-3,000 per kg and sell it to customers here for Rs 25,000-30,000 per kg. The contraband is usually transported by train, and to avoid detection, traffickers often switch routes using other modes such as buses, auto-rickshaws, or private vehicles,” the officer said.
He added that this year alone three gangs attempting to smuggle cannabis in luxury cars were also intercepted and apprehended.
Commenting on the surge in NDPS cases, Hemalatha said the increase in arrests and seizures reflects the effectiveness of intensified enforcement measures.
“Along with enforcement, we are carrying out a range of initiatives across the rural district to curb narcotic abuse and trafficking. Under ‘Mission Punarjani,’ we conduct awareness and rehabilitation programmes among migrant workers who require special attention in this regard.
The mission aims to bring about comprehensive change — preventing the sale and use of drugs, providing medical, psychological, and social support to those affected, and promoting alternative lifestyles,” she said.
She added that rural police also organised ‘Paadam Oru Gaanam,’ a music-based initiative designed to engage and educate the public on the dangers of drug abuse.
