Iyyadan Shanid of Mykavu in the Kozhikode district had reportedly swallowed 130 grams of MDMA in two plastic covers to escape the police on Friday morning.
Published Mar 08, 2025 | 12:27 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 08, 2025 | 1:58 PM
Iyyadan Shanid died while undergoing treatment in Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
The drug menace in Kerala claimed a life on Saturday, 8 March, after a youth died while undergoing treatment in the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
The deceased, identified as 28-year-old Iyyadan Shanid of Mykavu in the Kozhikode district, had reportedly swallowed 130 grams of MDMA — Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, known as Ecstasy or Molly — in two plastic covers to escape the police on Friday morning.
Though he tried to flee, the police caught up with him and took the youth to the hospital after learning that he had swallowed the banned substance.
An endoscopy conducted at the hospital revealed white granules in two plastic packets in his stomach.
It is not immediately known if he had died of a drug overdose or due to the plastic in the body. The police are waiting for the result of a post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death.
The drug menace and related incidents of violence have become a serious concern in Kerala. As many as 24,517 narcotics-related arrests were made in 2024.
The High Court of Kerala raised concerns over drugs reaching even schoolchildren in the case. The conviction rate in narcotics cases stood at 98.19 percent, higher than the national average of 78.1 percent.
Considering the gravity of the situation, the Kerala Legislative Assembly even suspended its regular business on 3 March and discussed the social impact of drug abuse. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the increased instances of violence and addiction to banned substances reflected deeper social, economic, and moral failures.
Vijayan called for a comprehensive approach, involving systemic changes in education, parenting, and social responsibility.
Fingers were also pointed at the glorification of violence in Malayalam movies.
A series of violent incidents forced the Assembly to set aside its usual business. A 10th class student was beaten to death by his counterparts from another school in Kozhikode, while a 23-year-old man went on a killing spree, murdering four of his relatives and his reported girlfriend in Thiruvananthapuram.
Another youth in Thiruvananthapuram brutally killed his father following a dispute.
