Kasargod: Following a spate of incidents of Gulf-bound youth becoming carriers of drugs, the police-excise wings are set to launch a massive drive against drugs in Kasargod. The Khatib of Malik Deenar Juma Masjid in Thalangara, Abdul Majeed Baqavi himself, had cautioned against the drug mafia. A few days back during his regular sermon in the mosque, the Khatib gave strict instructions to youngsters going abroad not to help others by taking their parcels along.
“We are launching an an-ti-drug drive with the cooperation of the excise department. The public should also come forward to thwart the drug mafia,” said district superintendent of police, Thomson Jose. The drive would be launched with the participation of prominent personalities in various fields, including religion and art, to enlighten the youth on the danger of being carriers.
Police sources say that the Gulf-bound youth are putting themselves at huge risk by transporting narcotics and weeds to the Middle East countries, where punishment could be even death penalty. “It is not that everyone was duped. Most of the youth carry the contraband substances to make quick bucks,” said Hosdurg inspector C.K. Sunilkumar. On May 22, the cops had intercepted a car on its way to Kochi International Airport and seized 12.88 kg of marijuana. Three persons in the car were on their way to board a flight to Qatar. They were carrying the drug for a fee of Rs 1 lakh per kilogram of marijuana.
Most of the ganja to Kasargod comes from East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh via Mangalore. The police have limited resources to book the kingpins and their probe often ends by catching small fishes. “We are not able to go beyond the carriers,” admitted inspector Sunilkumar. The peddlers know the loopholes of the NDPS Act and play by it, making it difficult to extract the little information they have,” said another cop.
The possession of up to one kg of ganja is a bailable offence. So, peddlers make sure their packets will weigh less than one kg, which can cater to a whole lot of buyers.
