Published Jul 03, 2026 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 03, 2026 | 12:00 PM
Representative image.
A month after the launch of Operation Toofan: The Narco Hunt, the Kerala Police has reported major gains in its statewide crackdown on narcotics, seizing illicit drugs worth around ₹30 crore and arresting 5,736 people in what officials describe as one of the state’s biggest anti-drug enforcement drives.
Launched to dismantle drug networks operating in and around schools, colleges and campuses, the operation has led to the registration of 5,353 cases across Kerala during the first month.
Among the biggest seizures during the campaign was the recovery of 18 kg of hybrid cannabis worth an estimated ₹18 crore in Ernakulam on June 24.
In another breakthrough, the Pathanamthitta police, using scientific investigation techniques, tracked down and arrested international drug traffickers of Nigerian origin from Delhi and Karnataka.
The police also seized MDMA worth ₹26 lakh in Malappuram, dismantled a tobacco manufacturing unit in Kasaragod, and confiscated 15,000 packets of narcotic tobacco products.
As part of the intensified enforcement, the Kerala Police conducted a statewide special drive titled “Toofan Strike” on the night of June 27.
The operation alone resulted in the registration of 799 cases and the arrest of 806 people.
Police officials said heightened surveillance and frequent inspections in school and college premises have led to a noticeable decline in the sale and distribution of narcotic substances in educational institutions.
They attributed the success of the campaign to coordinated action by multiple government departments, intelligence-based policing and active public participation.
The police also said a meeting of central enforcement agencies was convened in the presence of the state Home Minister to strengthen inter-agency coordination and enhance efforts to curb the trafficking and distribution of narcotic substances in Kerala.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
