Kerala is becoming a den of drug smugglers. There has been a 300 per cent increase in drug cases in the last six years. At the same time, the arrest rate has also increased close to 90 percent. In the last year, there has been a sharp increase in cases related to drugs, alcohol and banned tobacco products in the state. This shows that drugs have become a new and serious problem in Kerala, which is considered to be India's most educated state. Please tell that the literacy rate of Kerala is more than 93 percent.
The cases of drugs have been increasing continuously since 2016 in Kerala. Due to the Corona epidemic, there was a decline in 2020 and 2021, but in 2022 its number has increased rapidly. According to a statistic, last year (in 2022) the police registered 26,629 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. These cases are more than 300 percent as compared to 2016. In 2016, 5924 cases were registered. And in 2019, 9245 cases were registered.
Arrests increased by 87.47 percent between 2016 and 2022
According to a report in The Indian Express , excise data analysis shows that the number of arrests for these cases under the NDPS Act increased by 87.47 per cent between 2016 and 2022. In 2016, 3217 people were arrested while in 2022, 6031 people were arrested. Cases registered by the Excise Department under the NDPS Act have also shown a steady increase since 2016. In 2019, the highest number was recorded in six years.
According to the data, in 2016, the Excise Department did not register any seizures under MDMA. At the same time, in 2022, 7775.425 grams of drugs were seized by the department, which was the highest in the last six years. The methamphetamine drug first came on the radar of the Excise Department in 2021, when it seized 88.806 grams of the drug. In 2022, the amount of the highly addictive drug increased to 2,432.483 grams.
Seizure of heroin-charas and hashish increased in 2022
There was a decline in the amount of ganja seized in 2022 as compared to last year. But the seizure of heroin, charas and hashish has increased. Cases registered under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act related to prohibited tobacco products have also increased in recent years. In 2016, 45,756 cases were registered by the Excise Department. And in 2022, 86,114 were registered.
Cocaine worth 502 crores seized in October 2022
In October last year, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in Mumbai arrested Vijin Varghese, MD of Kochi-based Yumito Foods, with 50.2 kg of cocaine. Its price in the market was said to be around Rs 502 crore. Varghese was involved in another case, in which methamphetamine and cocaine worth Rs 1,476 crore were found in orange boxes coming from South Africa by his company.
Seized 165 Kg of Ganja in March 2022
On March 18 last year, the Excise Department seized 165 kg of ganja from Palakkad district of Kerala. Two people were arrested in this case. Both had allegedly procured the drug from Andhra Pradesh. In August last year, two people were arrested from the same district with hashish oil. The price of the oil was said to be about five crore rupees in the market.
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