KOCHI: With increasing reports of women’s involvement in drug peddling across Kerala, the excise department has intensified surveillance on 16 women included in the list of repeat offenders in narcotics cases.
They have been placed under regular monitoring as part of a broader crackdown on habitual offenders under the NDPS and Abkari Acts.
According to excise officials, a total of 497 individuals across the state are currently in the repeat offenders list for multiple violations of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Among them, 16 are women, each involved in two to 11 drug-peddling cases.
The highest number of NDPS cases has been registered against a woman from Palakkad. “We have been maintaining this list for the past few years to closely track down those repeatedly caught with ganja and synthetic drugs,” a senior excise officer said. “Though there are fewer women than men in the list, many are being used as carriers by drug rackets. Our teams frequently contact these individuals, monitor their residence and verify their current occupation,” the officer said.
8,160 NDPS cases registered last year
Region-wise, the list includes six women from Kollam, three from Palakkad, two each from Thrissur and Kottayam, and one each from Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod. Notably, there are no women from Ernakulam in the list, despite the district consistently reporting the highest number of narcotics cases annually. In 2023 and 2024, the excise department registered 8,104 and 8,160 NDPS cases, respectively, across Kerala.
In addition, 20 women are in the repeat offenders’ list for cases under the Abkari Act, which pertains to illegal alcohol production and distribution. Of them, nine women are from Kollam, three from Thiruvananthapuram, two each from Alappuzha and Palakkad, and one each from Pathanamthitta, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod. The total number of repeat offenders under the Abkari Act stands at 500.
Excise officials said some women’s names appear in both lists. “There are three women from Kollam who have been booked under both NDPS and Abkari Acts. Their involvement was found in both drug peddling and illicit brewing operations for financial gain. We are considering invoking stringent measures, including slapping of provisions under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT NDPS) Act, against repeated offenders,” the officer added.
Repeat women offenders in Abkari cases
Kollam: 9
Thiruvananthapuram: 3
Alappuzha: 2
Palakkad: 2
Pathanamthitta: 1
Wayanad: 1
Kannur: 1
Kasaragod: 1
Total: 20