KOCHI: The arrest of two special school teachers in Kozhikode has brought Kerala’s evolving anti-drug strategy into sharp focus. While the high-profile case underscores the police’s increasing emphasis on dismantling supplier networks, officials say the apparent decline in NDPS cases this year is the result of a conscious shift away from booking users towards targeting traffickers and drug syndicates.
The change in approach is also reflected in the latest NDPS data tabled by the home department. While Kerala Police registered 36,322 NDPS Act cases in 2025, the number stood at 8,759 till June 2026, alongside 5,846 cases registered by excise department.
Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Dr Arul R B Krishna said over 80-85% of NDPS cases in 2025 were under Section 27(b), which deals with consumption of cannabis.
“These cases were largely against users. A conscious decision was later taken and currently users are now being treated as a route to identify suppliers and trafficking networks,” he said.
Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said the strategy has begun to affect the drug market. “There has been a noticeable drop in supply over the past week, which has pushed up prices. Operation Toofan has had a significant impact, and stronger coordination between departments has strengthened enforcement,” he said.
An excise official said the supply chain continues to be driven by interstate traffickers, with ganja sourced cheaply from neighbouring states and sold in Kerala for enormous profits. The official also expressed concern over the increasing social acceptance of drug use and the growing demand for synthetic drugs such as MDMA, often associated with party culture.
Highlighting the ingenuity of traffickers, the official said narcotics are concealed in innovative ways to evade detection. In one recent case, 10 grams of drugs were allegedly hidden inside a zip-lock pouch placed within a menstrual cup. The official added that peddlers even use coded language, referring to a drug sale as a “game”. “If someone says there is a game in Pukkattupady today, it means drugs are being sold there. They see it as a challenge to outsmart enforcement agencies,” the official said.
