Operation Toofan: ₹10 crore worth of narcotics and tobacco seized; 2778 held in Kerala crackdown
Thiruvananthapuram: In the opening fortnight of 'Operation Toofan'—a massive, state-wide offensive against illicit drugs—authorities have seized narcotics and outlawed tobacco products valued at over ₹10 crore, resulting in the arrest of 2,778 individuals.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala shared these updates on Tuesday, confirming that 2,575 cases have been logged since the campaign launched. The multi-departmental initiative is being spearheaded by the Kerala Police and the Excise Department, with active assistance from the health and education sectors.
Speaking to reporters following an inter-agency review at the police headquarters, Chennithala detailed that law enforcement recovered 1.589 kg of MDMA, 146.490 kg of ganja, 464.045 g of hashish oil, 350.439 g of brown sugar and 141 cannabis plants, alongside a vast quantity of banned tobacco products. The collective street value of the haul crosses the ₹10 crore mark. Broken down by severity, the registrations include 838 minor possession cases, 78 medium-tier cases and 24 major commercial-scale drug offences.
The Minister also revealed that investigations targeting supply networks led to the recent arrests of two foreign nationals in New Delhi and Bengaluru. Going forward, the state aims to scale up the operations by aligning more closely with central enforcement bodies. The high-level planning meeting saw participation from officials representing the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Narcotics Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs, Coast Guard and Marine Enforcement.
According to the Home Minister, investigators have successfully mapped out the specific transit routes and origins feeding the contraband into Kerala, indicating that the net is closing in on the network's kingpins.
"Future investigations and enforcement activities will make full use of modern scientific and technological tools. A multi-agency digital integration project is being planned in collaboration with central and state agencies to strengthen anti-drug operations and tackle the menace in a more scientific manner," he said.
Alongside strict enforcement, the state is rolling out community outreach and rehabilitation programmes to stop the spread of substance abuse. To date, police teams have supervised 1,526 public awareness workshops and 138 dedicated counselling modules across multiple districts.
Furthermore, Chennithala unveiled 'T-INT'—a new specialised venture by the State Intelligence Wing tailored to pinpointing and neutralising drug supply origins. Enhanced security coordination protocols will also be introduced at all major sea and air terminals, backed by the scientific training of specialized police sniffer dogs capable of tracking illicit substances.
To mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, localised anti-drug campaigns will be orchestrated across every state assembly constituency, led by their respective MLAs. The Minister maintained a firm stance, reassuring the public that the clampdown will persist until the drug cartels are entirely dismantled and Kerala is rid of the narcotics threat.
Initially introduced shortly after the UDF government took charge, Operation Toofan stands as a comprehensive, state-wide anti-narcotics drive designed to choke the distribution, sale and usage of prohibited substances through data pooling, synchronised raids, and civic involvement.
PTI