Hardly a week passes now without Thiruvananthapuram reporting a synthetic drug seizure. Either an interstate carrier being intercepted or narcotics being traced along its coastal and border routes. MDMA busts are no longer a rarity here.
What was once largely seen as a problem concentrated in Kochi is now increasingly spreading to the capital district as well, with enforcement agencies warning that tourist hubs and transit corridors in Thiruvananthapuram are emerging as key distribution points for synthetic drugs.
The arrest of two men with 51g of MDMA and 2.6g of hybrid ganja near Vizhinjam on Thursday is the latest indication of how these networks are spreading their tentacles.
The latest seizure was made by a Neyyattinkara excise team during a vehicle inspection on the Vizhinjam-Mukkola-Uchakkada road on Thursday evening. Officers arrested Jishnu (30), a native of Kasaragod, and Sahulrahman alias Sahal (36), from Malappuram.
The MDMA stash was allegedly hidden inside a bag carried by Jishnu, while the ganja was concealed by Sahal.
An officer says the narcotics were meant for sale in tourist destinations such as Kovalam and Poovar. The seized MDMA alone is estimated to have a market value of around `3.5 lakh.
“The district is seeing comparatively higher drug seizures now,” says Deputy Excise Commissioner Sooraj B. “While this is worrying, the spike could also be because of stronger surveillance and enforcement.”
Most of these narcotic substances, the officer adds, come from outside the state.
“So all border regions are under strict monitoring. They are mostly transported for supply in urban centres and tourism belts,” he says.
“The 13 checkposts across Thiruvananthapuram are under constant watch. Inspections are being carried out round the clock. Buses, trains and vehicles arriving from other states are all under observation. Police and excise teams have been jointly carrying out inspections and intelligence-based operations.”
According to officers, traffickers often use private vehicles or interstate buses to avoid detection. Coastal tourism zones have also become areas of concern because of the transient crowds and heavy movement of visitors.
“Synthetic drugs such as MDMA are increasingly replacing traditional narcotics due to higher profits and easier concealment during transport,” says an officer.
Earlier, ganja seizures dominated most narcotics cases reported in the state. Now, synthetic drugs, including MDMA, are being detected more frequently, especially among younger users and within nightlife and tourism circuits.
The substances often move under coded names in text messages, with MDMA referred to as ‘molly’, ‘ecstasy’ or ‘E’, while ganja is commonly called ‘greens’, ‘pot’ or ‘Mary Jane’.
Interestingly, the accused arrested in the latest case were reportedly transporting the drugs from Ernakulam in a rented car. Officers reveal that one of the accused, Jishnu, had earlier been arrested in a case involving 4kg of ganja. The probe team is now tracing the wider network behind the duo.