250 kgs ganja (cannabis) has been seized in Kochi on April 7. It was found in an abandoned car in Palluruthi, Kochi. The commodity was packed in four large bags. The car had been rented out by a rent-a-car company. Since the car was not returned after the agreed time, the rent-a-car men complained to the police. Consequently, the car was seized. When the police examined the car, ganja was found. Now, the police is trying to catch hold of the men behind it.
Since the last few years, Kochi has been considered as the drug capital of Kerala. Police, NGOs, academicians and social workers have been expressing regret in the growing consumption of drugs among young boys and girls and even school children.
The strength of drug consumers in the campuses is growing. People demand strict action in each and every case. There should not be any sort of political interference in these cases. Drug addiction leads to growth in violence and clashes. The seized ganja is worth over Rs 50 lakh.
Earlier on April, 2023, seven persons including two women were arrested by Kochi City police after seizing around 15kg of ganja from them at Aluva on April 6. The arrested persons are Jyothis, 22, of Karunagappally, Akshay Raj, 24, of Thiruvankulam, Sreelal, 26, and Hari Krishnan, 26, of Sasthamcotta, Dileep alias Boxer Dileep, 27, of Oachira, Megha Cherian, 21, of Mavelikkara and Shilpa Shyam, 19, of Kayamkulam. They were arrested in a joint inspection by Ambalamedu police and Kochi City district anti-narcotics special action force (Dansaf) in a lodge at Keezhmad.
According to the police, they have procured the ganja from a drug mafia at Balangir district in Odisha via an intermediary and smuggled it into Ernakulam with the help of trucks carrying vegetables from other states. The contraband was collected in small packets weighing up to 2kg from the trucks at isolated places along the national highways and distributed to retail dealers.
The police said the arrested persons were part of the gang that is engaged in sales of ganja in several places in Alappuzha and Kollam region.
