As the city prepares to revel in the Christmas-New Year celebrations, Excise officials have been on their toes to counter the potential rise in drug traffic to the district.
In view of the festival season ahead, the department has launched a month-long special drive comprising patrols, special check-ups and intelligence collection.
To coordinate the enforcement activities and liaise with the public, a district-level control room that works round-the-clock has been opened at the district headquarters.
To meet contingencies, two striking forces have been deployed to monitor the eastern and western parts of the district, in addition to a shadow team headed by the Deputy Excise Commissioner.
While majority of the narcotic drugs cases are getting reported within the city limits, the focal points of the anti-bootleg liquor operations are the forest fringes. “The huge haul of spirit from Munnar the other day points to the things to work out on during the season and joint raids are being planned to check bootlegging,” said K.A. Nelson, Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Ernakulam.
The department has also intensified search operations along the coastal areas of the district, and will soon begin surprise checks in boats and canoes fishing off the sea.
Based on the specific inputs on youths from Kochi regularly featuring at rave parties in Goa and Bengaluru, the department expects a huge influx of synthetic drugs to Kochi from the various party-high destinations.
