THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pointing to a worrying rise in drug abuse in the district, excise officials have arrested 255 people and seized narcotics worth lakhs of rupees until May 9 this year.
Data of the excise department showed ganja and MDMA, at 59.943 kg and 320.037 grams, respectively – accounted for the largest seizures in the period. The figures also revealed a growing presence of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin and Nitrazepam tablets in the district’s drug network.
At 73, January saw the most cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. As many as 79 people were arrested in those cases and 20.853kg of ganja and 177.341g of MDMA seized; it was the single largest monthly MDMA haul of the year. After a drop in February, there was a spike in March with 69 NDPS cases and 76 arrests. As much as 5.209kg of ganja, 45.377g of MDMA and 6.075g of methamphetamine, besides hybrid ganja, were seized in the third month.
The largest ganja seizure was reported in April, when excise officials confiscated a total of 30.455 kg of the contraband in separate seizures across the district. There were 43 NDPS cases and 43 arrests in April. Hashish, hashish oil, heroin, hybrid ganja and 39.615g of MDMA were the other drugs seized.
And, nine days into May, excise officials have already registered 13 NDPS cases and arrested 14 people. As much as 52.018g of MDMA and 1.423kg of ganja were seized in the period.
A total of 32 vehicles allegedly used in drug trafficking were seized by the excise department between January and May. The officials also recovered `71,440 cash from the various persons booked since January.
Excise officials said synthetic drugs such as MDMA were increasingly replacing traditional narcotics due to higher profits and easier concealment during transport. Strict monitoring has been ensured to disrupt the flow of drugs and bring the situation under control, they said.
“Inter-state drug links and online networks are increasingly being tracked as part of the crackdown. Border regions are under strict monitoring. Buses, trains and vehicles arriving from other states are all under observation,” said a top excise official.