KOCHI: Even as the state continues to grapple with the growing menace of drug abuse, the data released recently by the police department reveals that the situation in Ernakulam district is particularly grave. As many as 8,567 narcotics cases the highest in the state were registered in Ernakulam between January 1, 2023, and June 1, 2024, according to the data shared in the state assembly.
Over the one-and-a-half-year period, the police registered 6,436 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases in Kochi city, the data revealed. The corresponding figure for Ernakulam Rural stood at 2,131 cases. Combining both police districts, 8,567 NDPS cases were registered in Ernakulam district.
With regard to drug abusers, 4,528 cases were registered in Kochi and 1,663 cases in Ernakulam Rural respectively. In the entire district, 6,191 cases were registered against drug abusers. When it comes to drug peddlers, 1,908 persons were booked in Kochi and 468 in Ernakulam Rural, for a total of 2,376 in the district.
Overall, 41,531 NDPS cases were registered in Kerala during the period. After Ernakulam, the second highest number of NDPS cases was registered in Malappuram district (5,906), followed by Kozhikode (5,385). The lowest number of NDPS cases were registered in Pathanamthitta, with only 291 cases, followed by Idukki (1,110).
Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladithya said that though the numbers in Kochi indicate a high flow of drugs, it also implies increased detection by enforcement agencies in the city.
“If a place has a low number of NDPS cases, it doesn’t mean that there is no drug flow there. In Kochi, the detection of cases has been high. We reviewed the drug-related cases in Kochi recently and our enforcement activities were found satisfactory. We are planning to improvise the current enforcement activities so that more detections can be made,” Vimaladithya said.
The Kochi commissioner said that the police are adopting a twin approach to bring down the drug menace. It includes reducing the demand and supply of drugs. “To reduce demand, we have to resort to awareness programmes.
Also, we coordinate de-addiction programmes. We have School Protection Groups and Student Police Cadets to detect drug addiction at the grassroots level. When it comes to reducing supply, we detect cases, adopt preventive measures like Prevention of Illicit Traffic in NDPS (PIT NDPS) Act, and ensure proper prosecution in drug cases,” he said.
An officer with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said the agency has detected several cases in the state in which drugs like MDMA, LSD, and cocaine arrive from abroad.
“Though synthetic drugs like MDMA mostly come from Bengaluru, in recent years, drugs and narcotics substances sourced from abroad are recovered in Kerala.
Recently, customs seized around four kg of ganja brought from a Southeast Asian country. Though in small quantities, foreign drugs like cocaine and LSD are being detected frequently across the state. Earlier, these drugs were couriered from abroad. But with more detections, these drugs are channelled through other states to Kerala,” the officer said.
