COIMBATORE: Though the efforts of Coimbatore district (rural) police to curtail the overall ganja sale are effective, the usage of ganja-laced chocolate is increasing in the district. In the last 60 days, police seized around 235 kg of ganja chocolates worth approximately Rs 20 lakh, of which 179 kg were caught from the Karumathampatti sub-division, which has a thick population of migrant workers, in the last three days.
On Friday, police arrested a Bihar native with 156 kg of such chocolates. Three days later, on Monday, they again arrested another Bihar native for possessing 22.5kg ganja chocolates, which is the second major seizure this week, said sources. In an effort to control the issue, police will hold talks with employers of migrant workers.
Earlier, migrant workers used to bring ganja chocolates from their hometowns in small quantities for their personal use. However, as the police cracked down on ganja networks in the district, they started selling them. “The use of ganja chocolates increased among the college students in the district. To prevent this completely, police are setting up special teams in all 15 police station limits and investigating the activities of the suspects,” said police.
“We have also identified that the suspects are getting the contraband from their natives after bringing them to Bengaluru by private courier services. It is properly packed similarly to chocolates. The suspects brought a piece for Rs 50 and sold each chocolate for at least Rs 500,” they added.
A senior police officer said “In the initial days, we were in trouble as the suspect claimed those were normal chocolates. Then we start to conduct sample tests by mobile laboratory units and after confirming the contraband mix, we initiate legal proceedings. Most of the seized chocolates have at least 15 % of cannabis substances. They manufacture these chocolates like cottage industries in their native and use sugar and ganja extracts as major ingredients,” the officer said.
Police superintendent V Badrinarayanan said, “The police have planned to hold meetings with the employers who have a huge number of migrant workers in the rural pockets to sensitize the ganja issue. Meanwhile, the special teams formed at each station limit work round the clock to curtail the network of ganja and drug-related issues.”