BJP Tamil Nadu has sought the intervention of the Central government urging it to curb the escalating drug trafficking and narcotics menace in Tamil Nadu and the establishment of a Special Anti-Narcotics Task Force and stringent oversight of State police machinery.
In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Home Secretary, TN BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad sought their attention over the alarming transformation of Tamil Nadu into a major hub for ganja (cannabis) production, distribution, and trafficking under the 58-month rule of the DMK government led by CM M.K. Stalin.
He said, “This situation has gravely endangered the youth, students, and overall law and order of the State, drawing parallels to Mexico-style drug mafias. We earnestly urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to exert necessary pressure on the Tamil Nadu government and police, provide appropriate guidance, and initiate decisive central-level actions to halt this slide and protect future generations of Tamil Nadu.”
Adding further, Prasad said, “Under the so-called ‘Dravidian Model’ of governance, Tamil Nadu has witnessed a dubious ‘renaissance’ exclusively in the ganja trade and narcotics proliferation, while other sectors suffer. Chief Minister Stalin himself admitted in his 2023 address to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly the persistent issue of small-scale drug sales. Despite this, the State has become a premier smuggling hub, perversely twisting the ancient Tamil proverb ‘Cross the seas to seek wealth’ into exporting ganja to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka.”
Explaining the ill effects, he said, “Unrestricted ganja supply has flooded the State: packets hidden in school students’ bags, ganja-laced chocolates sold outside school gates in various cities, and even ganja-infused omelettes in illegal bars. What began as a cottage industry has evolved into a large-scale manufacturing and distribution epicentre for narcotics under DMK rule. This rampant drug culture, intertwined with TASMAC liquor outlets and illicit arrack, has fuelled escalating violence, crimes, sexual assaults, rapes, and murders, eroding public safety and destroying the youth.”
TN BJP leader said, “Corruption within the police force is rampant, with many stations harbouring elements complicit in ganja and drug trafficking. These ‘black sheep’ act as enablers for traffickers. A glaring example is the recent Ooty scandal, where Constable Naseer Ahmed of Ooty Central Police Station was arrested as a major ganja distributor. His colleagues Constables Abishekaran, Mayakannan, and Santhakumar were suspended after being caught purchasing and peddling the drug. Such incidents bring shame to the Tamil Nadu Police.”
Listing major hauls of drugs during the DMK’s 58-month rule, Prasad said: 1.) In Perambur (adjacent to CM Stalin’s Kolathur constituency), a Class 11 student’s school bag at a government higher secondary school in Vyasarpadi’s Mahakavi Bharathiyar Nagar contained ganja packets. A 24-hour drug den operates at Perambur Railway Station with apparent police protection. In Ayanavaram Railway Quarters (also in Kolathur), ganja sales have led to rivalries causing murders and attempted murders over the past five years.
2.) In Tiruvallur’s Avadi, intensified raids seized 510 kg of ganja in one instance, with 90 cases registered. In 2024, approximately 500 kg worth Rs 50 lakh was confiscated, leading to over 100 cases. In 2025 alone, 2,892 kg worth Rs 3 crore was seized, with 581 cases.
3.) Drug-fuelled violence includes a double murder in Tiruvallur’s Avadi and a machete attack by a ganja gang on two college students in Tiruttani.
4.) DMK affiliates are deeply entangled: In Nagapattinam, DMK leader Lakshmanan was linked to 300 kg of ganja; in Thoothukudi, DMK councillor Mariageetha’s son Jerson was implicated; in Salem’s Mecheri, a DMK functionary was arrested for illegal liquor; and in Ramanathapuram, 110 kg of ganja worth Rs 1 crore (destined for Sri Lanka) was seized. District after district shows DMK members dominating this criminal enterprise.
5.) During 2026 New Year celebrations, high-grade “OG” ganja was confiscated across multiple areas. The Central Narcotics Control Bureau’s Chennai zone seized 2,362.770 kg of drugs in 2025, including 2,344 kg of ganja and 12 kg of synthetics like ganja chocolates. Tamil Nadu Customs intercepted nearly 7,500 kg of cocaine in related operations. Narcotic tablet seizures surged 255% from 39,910 in 2023 to 141,760 in 2024, with further increases in 2025 to 24,215 in Jan–Feb 2026 alone. In some reports, ganja cases tripled in areas like Trichy (268.3 kg in 2025 vs. the previous year).
In the 2023 Assembly session, when accused of turning Tamil Nadu into a drug-infested State, CM Stalin cited “achievements”: NDPS cases rose from 40,246 (AIADMK 2020) to 63,656 under DMK; arrests from 37,846 to 65,480; seizures from 122,000 kg to 337,295 kg. Comparing 2016 AIADMK’s 5,403 cases to DMK’s 10,391 in 2022, he claimed doubles and multi-fold increases as success, effectively admitting the problem has expanded, while presenting it as enforcement triumph. These inflated numbers reflect unchecked proliferation, not control.
Health Minister Subramanian’s claim that “Tamil Nadu grows no ganja at all, a completely cultivation-free State” is a blatant denial amid rampant smuggling (mostly from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana) and transit to Sri Lanka.
BJP Tamil Nadu has repeatedly demanded a special investigative unit to root out complicit officers, but it has been ignored. In this final phase of DMK’s tenure, we urge the Central Government to: pressurise the Tamil Nadu government to immediately launch a Tamil Nadu Special Anti-Narcotics Task Force with war-like operations; provide central guidance and oversight to dismantle corrupt elements in police stations; intensify border and coastal surveillance to block inflows and smuggling; and initiate independent probes into political links and mafia networks endangering students and youth.
Prasad said, “Tamil Nadu, once renowned for education, is now emerging as India’s drug capital. The people demand accountability and protection. Your intervention is crucial to safeguard our future.”
