Kochi police are now working on collecting intelligence about parties associated with substance abuse in the city based on their regularity of performances and their closeness to individuals with a history of narcotics offences.
The sleuths have also received specific information that many of its participants, mostly from the world of fashion, modelling and business, are addicted to stimulants.
It’s a young crowd that attends these electronic dance music parties, featuring star DJs and psychedelic light shows, although you may spot some middle-aged every now and then. The recent string of drug-related arrests in the city has turned the spotlight on such parties.
In the case of the particular party in question, the police could confirm the role of Cal B, a drug racket operating from the Kozhikode beach, which used the DJ party for networking with the youngsters.
This time round, the police are also focusing on creating a data base on suspected drug peddlers and their known associates, right from music lovers, who are in regular attendance, as well as people who hire their services.
Big challenge
The recent incident in which a migrant woman and a toddler were found killed near Perumbavoor has once again highlighted the need to improve policing among migrant labourers.
Despite best efforts by the police, there are still many who are yet to be documented. For instance, in Perumbavoor, the police have managed to provide photo-fingerprint identity cards to just 3,000 among the over one lakh labourers from other States.
“This is totally unacceptable considering the fact that around 250 narcotic cases and four murder cases involving them were registered over the past one year alone,” pointed out a top police official. He attributes the failure of the programme to lack of support from the employers as well as absence of a coordinated effort to clear their apprehensions.
In his opinion, the large-scale presence of people from other States has also raised the risk of criminals choosing the place as a hideout.
In the wake of the recent incidents, including the brutal murder of a family near Kottayam, the police are now looking to step up the efforts to create a data bank of migrant labourer community in the region. “To start with, we will be approaching the plywood factory units, which has employed the highest number of these workers and collect details including their activities at home,” they said.
Hiran Unnikrishnan
