Kerala's All Out War Against Drug Mafia: Police-Excise Joint Operation
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: As pressure mounts on the government to curb drug mafia in the wake of raising cases, Kerala police on Sunday decided to collaborate with the excise department to conduct joint operations against the drug racket prevalent the state. The two departments is expected to carry out joint raids on potential drug peddlers and their networks across the state. The raid will focus on college campuses, hostels, parcel service centers and labour camps, among other places, as per reports.
In recent days, triggered by the use of narcotic and synthetic drugs, several criminal cases, including gruesome murders and physical abuses, have been reported from the state. The alleged easy availability of MDMA and other drugs, even to children, has drawn sharp criticism from the public as well as the opposition. The opposition blamed ruling LDF government and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan over their alleged failure to curb the drug menace in the state. There have been a shocking list of mass murders linked to drug abuse in the state in early 2025 alone.
Read Also: Shocking List Of Mass Murders In Kerala Linked To Drug Abuse In Early 2025
As part of the extensive operation, the officials have also been instructed to intensify monitoring in all the major border check posts. Chief minister Vijayan hailed the excise and police’s proactive joint intervention against the narcotic threat, while warning of the rising influence of the drug mafia in the state. The chief minister underlined that the consumption of synthetic drugs is turning people inhuman in nature.
The chief minister also pointed out that the drug mafia is trying to tighten its grip on society in a big way and attempting to specifically target minors and children. The clamour against the government exacerbated following the recent seizure of large quantities of drugs from different parts of the state.
Read Also: A Rs 72 Lakh Drug Could Possibly Cost Just Rs 3,000, Reveals Affidavit
Earlier this week, police seized two kilograms of ganja from the men’s hostel of a Government Polytechnic College in Kalamassery in Kochi, apart from several other instances in which many youths were held with huge quantities of the synthetic drugs including MDMA.
In the past couple of weeks, the Kerala Police intensified efforts to locate the racket by joining hands with seven other police units from southern states and Union territories. The police set up a coordination center to share information on drugs and fugitives during a meeting of senior officials from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, reported The New Indian Express citing officials.
The coordination Center will pass on important information regarding drug cases that have inter-state connections. The Kerala police appears to be bent on dismantling the supply chain of drugs to the state by running after the their network and locating the origin. The police have also contacted Goa police and reached an understanding with them about sharing tip-offs on drug rackets, and thus to take coordinated actions. It is reported that Goa and Karnataka have been one of the major sources of synthetic drugs which are being supplied to the southern most state.
Police have said that during the anti-narcotic drive they conducted in the state from February 22 to March 1, around 2,854 people were for possessing drugs and a total of 2,762 cases were registered. Each day, at least 300 cases were registered against the offenders during the special drive, according to the police.
“We hope this step will help in cutting off drug supply to the state as intoxicants are being smuggled from outside. Our intention behind taking part in such an exercise is to destroy the origin and supply route of drugs. Without an interstate action plan, that’s not possible,” the media house quoted a police officer.
