104 schools in Kerala identified as drug hotspots; Excise Department launches crackdown: Report
Thiruvananthapuram: In a worrying revelation, the Excise Department has identified 104 schools across Kerala as drug hotspots, highlighting the growing threat of substance abuse among school students.
The move comes after investigations revealed a disturbing prevalence of drug use in these institutions, as reported by The New Indian Express on Saturday.
The flagged schools include government, aided, and private institutions in the high school and higher secondary categories. Thiruvananthapuram district tops the list with 43 schools, followed by Ernakulam and Kozhikode.
The hotspot schools will be placed under surveillance, and police assistance will be sought wherever necessary. “The department has been directed to take action on its own and also in coordination with other departments, such as police, to purge the elements that lure school students,” TNIE quoted a senior excise officer as saying.
Investigations also suggested that some shops near schools were supplying drugs to students. The excise department has reported this to the state government, which has directed the revocation of licences of shops involved in drug peddling. However, enforcement remains challenging as many such shops operate without proper licences. Officials plan to use other legal provisions to crack down on these establishments.
The department is engaging with principals and headmasters of the listed schools, seeking their cooperation in monitoring student activities, added the report. Schools have been asked to provide details about entry and exit points set up for students, vacant rooms and plots on the school campuses where students may gather.
Additionally, there will be strict monitoring of student interactions with outsiders, and background checks will be conducted on individuals loitering near schools, TNIE quoted its source as saying.
In cases where students are found involved in drug abuse, the excise officials will reach out to parents and school authorities. With their consent, affected students will be rehabilitated under the 'Vimukthi' de-addiction programme.
As part of the crackdown, key countermeasures include visits by excise range officers to all schools within their jurisdiction to assess and monitor the situation. Shops located near schools will be inspected, and the licences of those found selling drugs or other intoxicants will be cancelled. In addition, owners of such shops will face legal action. To enhance vigilance, daily bike patrolling will be conducted near schools before and after class hours.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
