The Kochi city seems to have started the New Year on a high going by the number of drug cases registered by the City Police Commissionerate in just the first three months of the year.
The number of cases stood at 368 and arrests at 406. Among the seized items were 26.34 kg of ganja, 733 LSD stamps, 108 nitrazepam tablets, 116.59 grams of MDMA, 1.34 kg of hashish oil, 5 grams of hashish, and ₹8.04 lakh. It was for the first time that 733 LSD stamps were seized in a single operation anywhere in the State. Four persons were also arrested in that connection.
Constant inspections are being conducted to check the drug flow into the city at the direction of the District Police Chief (Kochi City) C.H. Nagaraju. The operations are being supervised by Deputy Police Commissioner (Law and Order and Traffic) Aishwarya Dongre and Narcotic Cell Assistant Commissioner K.A. Thomas and conducted by the Kochi City District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Task Force (DANSAF) and the special operation group members with the help of the sniffer dog Bravo specially trained in detecting drugs.
Awareness classes are being held for cops registering the cases to ensure that those arrested in connection with drug hauls didn’t go scot-free. Classes were being held by officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Forensic Science Laboratory.
Checks are being held jointly with the Excise Department, Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and Railway Police at railway stations, bus stands, metro stations, port, and tourist centres.
Yodhav
So far, the city police have received 267 complaints over its drug alert app Yodhav, of which action has been taken on 240. The police have found the accused arrested to be mostly highly educated with criminal antecedents, and even students and professionals. A drug disposal committee chaired by Ms. Dogre has so far auctioned off four vehicles seized in connection with drug case and deposited the proceeds in the State exchequer.
The public has been asked to tip-off police on drug movements on the WhatsApp number 99959-66666, by way of video, text, or audio on the Yodhav app, or with the narcotics cell assistant commissioner’s number 94979-90065 or the DANSAF number 94979-80430
