Kochi: The amount of heroin seized so far this year in Ernakulam has already exceeded the total seizure of the drug in the district last year, according to excise department data. Ernakulam records the highest amount of heroin seizures in Kerala, with all other districts except Kozhikode reporting less than 50 grams of the seized drug.
Seizure Statistics
Rural police have seized 680 grams of heroin this year so far, while the total seizure in 2024 was 750 grams. The excise department also seized 124 grams of heroin from January to March this year.
Changing Demographics of Users
Heroin, which was previously mostly used by the migrant population, is now being consumed by Keralites as well, sources said. Francis Moothedan, project director of the rehabilitation centre for addicts at MOSC Medical College Hospital, noted, “We have come across cases of Malayali youngsters taking the impure version of heroin or brown sugar. If migrant workers mix it in substances like lime juice to inject it, these youngsters are using distilled water and are smart enough not to share needles. However, such injections can cause dangerous conditions like deep vein thrombosis (DVT), besides the dangerous effects from heroin.”
Police Alert on Trafficking
A senior police officer in Perumbavoor said that with the return of migrant workers who had left for Assam and West Bengal due to elections, authorities are on alert expecting a spike in drug smuggling. “Smugglers are likely to take advantage of the sudden influx of migrants by either making the workers carriers or smuggling it posing as migrant workers. We are on alert and inspections are being held at railway and bus stations,” said the officer.
The drug, which originates in Myanmar, is mostly being smuggled into Ernakulam from Assam.
Health Risks
Heroin, mostly used as an injectable drug, poses a double threat as it can cause side effects and a spread in diseases like AIDS due to sharing of needles.
Call for Compassionate Approach
With the state police set to launch Operation Toofan to root out the drug menace, Moothedan said there should be a change in approach over how the cases were handled. “It is high time that police stop seeing drug users with stigma. First-time users, especially those under the age of 21, need to be seen with compassion. The support of an expert should be taken to rehabilitate them. We need to break the chain where users are branded as miscreants, eventually pushing them into peddling. The youngsters need to be brought back into the mainstream, not punished,” said Moothedan.
NCRB Data
The NCRB’s 2024 report shows that Kochi city recorded 2,475 cases under the NDPS Act. However, 2,338 (95%) of total NDPS cases were linked to possession of drugs for personal consumption. The number of cases for trafficking was only 137.
