Kochi: Operation Toofan, the state-wide anti-narcotics drive launched by Kerala Police on June 2, aims to eradicate drug trafficking and dismantle drug networks. However, an analysis of 115 FIRs registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during the first week reveals a different narrative: users are being booked while major players remain elusive.
Youth Targeted in Operation Toofan
Nearly 50% of those booked by Kochi city police are under 25, including 20 teenagers aged 18 or 19. Most were caught with small quantities of ganja; in nearly 40 cases, the only item seized was a half-burnt ganja beedi. A conviction under the NDPS Act for such possession can attract up to one year's imprisonment. The high court has ruled that possessing even a small amount of narcotics constitutes 'stocking' and qualifies as 'anti-social activity.'
Experts Warn of Stat-Padding
Despite these arrests, experts caution that an excessive focus on small-time users risks turning the drive into a 'stat-padding' exercise, allowing major dealers to escape. George Joseph, a retired superintendent of police, stated: “Instead of inflating arrest tallies with low-level consumers, enforcement agencies must launch genuine, deep-dive investigations targeting the actual supply networks. That said, possessing drugs, even in small quantities, is a serious offence, and stringent action is needed to stop offenders from committing graver offences.”
The stat-padding concern is not unfounded. On June 3, a day after the drive began, Elamakkara police registered four separate cases each for a ganja beedi seized from four individuals near the White House lodge on Deshabhimani Road. The recorded times differed, but all four seizures appeared to have occurred within the same one-hour window. A similar pattern emerged in Kalamassery, where four cases were registered following rapid seizures near the Gents Hostel in Pottachal Nagar.
Substantial Hauls and Need for Root-Level Action
Operation Toofan has also yielded substantial hauls: Ernakulam rural police seized 60kg of ganja and 780g of hashish oil, while city police intercepted sizeable quantities of MDMA, ganja, and LSD stamps. Yet a sustained crackdown capable of dismantling entire rackets has not materialised. “Police already know the cultivation and distribution hubs in states like Odisha and West Bengal. Repeated operations and arrests at the source will create real deterrence. We need to cut the supply chain at its root,” Joseph added.
Call for Rehabilitation Over Prosecution
Francis Moothedan, project director of the rehabilitation centre for addicts at MOSC Medical College Hospital, called for a gentler approach toward small-quantity cases. “Many of these young adults need rehabilitation, not blind prosecution,” he said.
A senior city police officer said Operation Toofan remains an ongoing operation, and that the focus would soon widen to target the kingpins behind drug-trafficking rackets.
