THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More than 228 regular clients are placed under preventive detention, but this by no means has helped the drug mafia to slow down business. Irrespective of urban-rural distinction, carriers are still used by such cabals to distribute ganja to colleges and schools in the city. The government has tried several means including detention of reserves and confiscation of property of those people involved in the business but all such plans fell flatly bringing no results.
25,000 crore intoxicants were seized from a boat in Kochi in May. However according to estimates, not even one percent of such imports are being stopped by the agencies. Synthetic drugs such as LSD and MDMA are widely available in the city. Most of such banned substances are imported from foreign countries. The amount of MDMA seized has increased by 1300 percent in one year.
The officials also marked 382 educational institutions as major drug-prone zones, as many students from such institutions remain big participants in the cabal. Although 325 children were found using drugs in schools, only 183 were reported to the excise or police. And now, Awareness programs are aplenty in the state, with Kudumbashree, and many resident associations taking onus over conducting such programs.
A no-to-drugs campaign was also conducted with the participation of one crore people. Special operation groups led by SI's to stop such drug movements have gone redundant. The much-touted DANSAF squad formed to stymie the drug movement in the state has fallen into a controversy over the Tanur death case.
Failed promises: