As Kochi prepares to bid adieu to an eventful year amid revelry, enforcement agencies are on their toes to ensure that the celebrations in the city — one of the most-sought-after party destinations in the State — pass off peacefully.
Taking note of a potential spike in drug abuse during night parties this season, the city police have stepped up vigil against rave parties planned in remotely located homestays, resorts, and private apartments.
“Intelligence officials have been deployed at all locations to gather inputs on the flow of drugs, while men in plain clothes will be present at all party scenes,” said P. Vijayan, Inspector General of Police, Ernakulam Range.
While a curb on late-night parties appears too unlikely, the police want party organisers to share the responsibility of preventing drug abuse.
“The owner and custodian of the place where a party is held cannot be let off the hook in drug abuse cases. Along with offenders, they will also be brought to book,” Mr. Vijayan added.
Besides drugs, serving liquor at unlicensed hotels and other venues of entertainment will be brought under check with the help of Excise squads. Further, night patrol will be rearranged in such a way that more locations are covered during the New Year’s eve. This will be apart from the deployment of more policemen in West Kochi, where a huge number of revellers are set to flow in.
Of late, enforcement agencies have noticed a slow but steady entry of high-end narcotic drugs, primarily trafficked from Goa and Bengaluru, to party scenes in Kochi.
Besides the police, various Central agencies, including the Customs Department and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), will be chipping in this time to check a potential rise in drug inflow and abuse. Customs sleuths in collaboration with the NCB will be monitoring parties planned at select locations from the Christmas eve till New Year.
The departments have inked agreements with major hoteliers on giving tip offs on drug abuse. Also, officers will be embedded in all major parties in Kochi to monitor drug usage.
