THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sale of drugs close to Technopark has often posed thorny problems to the law enforcement agencies. In the past eight months, about 10 seizures and subsequent arrests were effected from the locality. In most of the cases, the carriers who came to supply drugs to the techies were the ones who were arrested.
Now, the enforcement agencies, including the Excise, are bracing for more action after they got information certain juice shops operating in the vicinity of Technopark were selling high-end drugs, including hashish oil. Earlier this week, the Excise Department joined hands with the Food Safety Department to conduct raids in juice shops. Though sources revealed no irregularities were found during the raids, the Excise Department is learnt to have stumbled on certain leads during the action.
The action came close on the heels of Excise Commissioner Rishiraj Singh receiving tipoffs from various sources regarding suspected drug peddling in the area. A senior excise official said there was information certain shops were selling juice spiked with drugs and the clients were aware of this. It was based on this input the shops were searched and eatables and juices were subjected to examination.
Excise sources said the arrest of two men possessing 90 tablets of Nitrosun MG, a prescription drug, from Kazhakuttom had precipitated more action. Prior to the arrest of the duo, a 23-year-old man was arrested while carrying 100 tablets of Nitrosun. In these cases, it was revealed during interrogation the drugs were meant to be sold among techies and television actors.
“We think the shops are being used to sell drugs because they offer anonymity and no one will suspect such an illicit trade is going on there,” said an excise officer.