KOCHI: In broad daylight, cops in plainclothes make their way through the lanes of Bhai Colony and Bhai Market, inspecting labour camps and bus stands. There is a steady stream of police vehicles moving in and out through the morning — and night. In Perumbavoor, nobody knows when and where the next raid will be.
Welcome to the world of Operation Toofan.
Over the past few weeks, the anti-narcotics campaign has transformed the commercial satellite town into one of Kerala’s most closely scrutinised places. Social media is flooded with reels of arrests, police raids and videos of alleged drug users, creating the perception that Perumbavoor has become the epicentre of the state’s war on drugs.
The town is no longer just Kerala’s plywood capital. It is now a place where every viral video, every tip-off and every suspicious movement could lead to the next knock on the door.
Till June 12 this year, the Perumbavoor police division registered 164 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act — four commercial-quantity cases, 12 medium-quantity cases, 74 small-quantity cases and 74 consumption cases — the second highest number among sub-divisions under Ernakulam Rural.
In terms of ranking, the division is unmoved from 2025, when it recorded 1,183 NDPS cases. In 2024, the figure stood at 660 cases, far above other divisions.
“Operation Toofan is the No.1 priority of the government. We are focusing on every aspect. We are gathering local intelligence and conducting raids,” said Hardik Meena, assistant superintendent of police, Perumbavoor sub division. Even the Sunday raids, that have become the talk of the town, are carried out discreetly, he said.
Amid all the scrutiny, the surveillance has now extended beyond the streets. “Our officers are closely monitoring social media pages. Any reference or indication of the use of drugs is enough for us to step in,” the ASP said.
One such case that exploded on social media involved 24-year-old Najma Begum. A video showing her in a disoriented state on a road in Perumbavoor went viral, sparking outrage.
Officers said that despite a history of involvement in narcotics-related cases landing her in prison, Najma returned to her old ways after release. Her husband, also linked to such offences, is currently in jail.
Many users questioned why repeat offenders are able to return to the streets so quickly.
Despite the perception, Hardik rejected the narrative that Perumbavoor is Kerala’s drug capital. “I would refrain from saying that this is a hub for drugs. Perumbavoor is widely discussed because of migrant labour,” he said. “I think Perumbavoor is a distribution centre and not a consumption hub. People bring drugs here and distribute them. This is not the point of origin.”
Investigations reveal that the supply chains stretch across state borders. Ganja is allegedly sourced mainly from Odisha and West Bengal, MDMA from Bengaluru and Coimbatore, and heroin from Rajasthan and Punjab. “The criminals are very clever. While transporting drugs, one vehicle will act as a pilot to alert others behind it to the presence of police.”
And the profits are massive. A kilogram of ganja purchased in Odisha for Rs 3,000-4,000 can fetch Rs 30,000-40,000 in Kerala. “Recently, we caught four people and none of them were consumers. They were purely transporting and selling the drugs,” ASP said.
According to officers, 97% of those arrested in recent cases were migrants, but they caution against branding an entire community.
“Only 5-10% are problematic. The rest are hardworking, honest people who are here for work,” pointed out Hardik.
Crackdown to continue, says SP Sudarsan
Ernakulam Rural SP Sudarsan K S said the crackdown under Operation Toofan has been intensified. “In June, we unearthed eight commercial-quantity, seven medium-quantity and 75 small-quantity cases,” he said. These yielded 7.6g of MDMA, 9.7g of heroin, 778g of hashish oil and 25g of opium. This year alone, Ernakulam Rural police seized nearly 450kg of ganja, around 780g of MDMA, 780g of hashish oil and 700g of heroin
