Migrant workers alone cannot be blamed for Perumbavoor’s drug menace: Chennithala

Migrant workers alone cannot be blamed for Perumbavoor’s drug menace, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday (July 3), issuing a strong warning to the networks involved in narcotic trafficking in and around the town.

The Minister said one cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that Keralites are among those who have found a lucrative business opportunity in drug peddling under the cover of migrant labourers. He was addressing a public meeting in connection with the police’s State-wide anti-drug drive Operation Toofan: The Narco Hunt at Perumbavoor.

“In Perumbavoor, most of the drug users may be guest workers… but there are Keralites too. Some local people have found drug peddling to be an attractive business. The police are after them,” he said.

The Minister said he chose Perumbavoor to launch Toofan Jagaran, an awareness rally as part of the anti-drug operation, as the United Democratic Front (UDF) government and the Home department were paying extra attention to the safety and growth of the town.

“Our aim is to free Perumbavoor, the plywood capital of the country, from being labelled as drug hub,” Mr. Chennithala said.

He said the drug mafia operating in Kerala has become less active after the initial phase of the police operation. “They think the police will stop the drive after the initial hype and everything will be back to square one after a couple of months. I’m warning them that if they don’t stop the illegal activities, they will be handcuffed,” the Minister said.

He said the police have registered 5,260 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and arrested 5,634 people in one month since the operation was launched. He said around 70 people have also been sent for rehabilitation.

He said the police will set up a special task force to deal with drug cases. Addressing the concerns over many arrested people securing bail easily in drug cases, the Minister said Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan has been told to raise the issues relating to the loopholes in the NDPS Act in Parliament.

He said State police chief Ravada Chandrasekhar will hold a meeting with his counterparts in neighbouring States on July 10 to discuss the steps to prevent cross-border smuggling of drugs.

The Minister also attended a public rally and interacted with the merchant and trader community. After the public meeting, Mr. Chennithala visited Bhai Colony, a migrant workers’ settlement in the town, and interacted with the residents. He presented ‘Toofan Warrior’ badges to representatives of the migrant workers and administered the anti-drug pledge in Hindi.