Operation Toofan: Kozhikode City police arrest 58 in single-day sweep

The Kozhikode City police registered 57 narcotics cases and arrested 58 persons during a city-wide sweep conducted on Saturday (July 11, 2026). The intensive drive was part of Operation Toofan, the Kerala police’s ongoing anti-drug enforcement drive.

According to police sources, the special drive, which commenced early on Saturday, continued till the early hours of Sunday (July 12, 2026). Flash searches were carried out at various locations under the jurisdiction of the Kozhikode City police. The coordinated raids covered several inter-State tourist buses, migrant worker settlements, hotels, lodges, and homestays.

Police officers also maintained a strict vigil at major transit hubs, conducting thorough inspections at the KSRTC bus station, the mofussil bus stand, and the railway station. District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) A.P. Shoukathali, Deputy Commissioner of Police Padam Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Anti-Narcotics Cell) M.M. Abdul Kareem, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Control Room) Sumesh T.P. were among those who coordinated the searches. Besides synthetic drugs, the police also seized smuggled tobacco products from several persons.

On Sunday, the police also released comprehensive data highlighting the scale of the anti-drug operation since its launch on June 1, 2026. Over the past six weeks, the city police have registered 738 cases and arrested 759 persons in connection with drug trafficking.

The six-week period also witnessed the seizure of 17.143 kg of ganja, besides the destruction of ganja plants cultivated at four locations. The seizures included commercial quantities of synthetic and hard drugs. District Crime Records Bureau figures showed that 342.22 grams of MDMA, 97.62 grams of hashish oil, 15.15 grams of methamphetamine, and 8.67 grams of brown sugar were recovered during the period.