KOCHI: After trafficking party drugs for long, rackets in Kochi seem to be diversifying into passenger transport and package tour operations.
The latest operation by drug runners here came to light when a city police team arrested two persons from Palluruthy for possessing hashish and MDMA. Preliminary investigations revealed that they used to organise rave trips for youngsters to destinations such as Bengaluru, Goa, and Coimbatore.
“The duo recently sent a group of students from a private law college on the city outskirts to Goa for ₹25,000 per head. Each tourist was entitled to two grams of MDMA, five grams of hashish, three packets of ganja, besides entry tickets to a rave party, accommodation facilities, and return tickets,” explained a senior officer with the city police.
Similarly, the cops arrested five persons from a lodge at Ernakulam South, who had just returned to the city after attending a rave party, Freedom Blast, in Goa. “At the time of their arrest, they were lolling around in haze. A probe is on to trace a Thammanam native who reportedly arranged the trip and supplied drugs to them,” officials said.
A detailed interrogation of the five pointed to similar operations by rackets that offered conducted tours to rave party destinations.
Earlier investigations had revealed that Kochi was becoming part of a blossoming scene involving affluent youngsters who take party drugs as a fashion statement. Subsequently, the police had taken steps to collect inputs on youngsters who frequently trip to destinations like Goa and Bengaluru, purportedly for getting linked up with dope dealers.
Ahead of the upcoming festival season, the police have launched a special drive against drug rackets in Kochi.
They arrested 21 youths, including six minors, over the last 10 days. Besides narcotic drugs, the cops also recovered equipment used to consume the substances from the youths.
