Malappuram (Keralam) | Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Monday said that following the anti-drugs campaign Operation Toofan, incidents of narcotic abuse and peddling have come down by 30 per cent in the state.
He was speaking after inaugurating the statewide launch of Operation Toofan 2.0, under which the police will coordinate with local bodies in anti-narcotics enforcement, awareness, and rehabilitation activities at Malabar College in Vengara here.
Chennithala said the campaign has become a major success with the support of mothers and women across Keralam, who have identified drugs as a major factor behind crimes against women.
From senior women police officers to mothers, grandmothers and sisters, people have supported the campaign, with many taking the lead as 'Toofan Warriors', he said.
He said mothers were often able to identify subtle behavioural changes in their children and recognise whether they were falling into the trap of drugs.
The drug mafia is targeting schools and colleges and have spread to both rural and urban areas, even reaching households, he said.
"After Operation Toofan began, we have been able to reduce drug volume and usage in Keralam by 20 to 30 per cent," Chennithala said.
He credited the Kerala Police for the success of the operation and said the force has been given complete freedom to act fearlessly.
The police personnel have pursued drug networks both within and outside the state, including in Bihar, Coimbatore, Noida, Chennai, Delhi and Bengaluru, he said.
The Malappuram police had seized 13 kg of MDMA in Coimbatore based on information obtained after a smaller seizure in Manjeri, he said, describing it as the biggest drug seizure witnessed by the state.
He said the public have provided confidential information to the police through designated telephone numbers, and the identities of informants were kept secret while officers investigated and tracked down offenders.
"If at one time the public feared the drug mafia, today the drug mafia fears the public," he said.
The minister also said there has been no political interference in the operation and that no accused person has been protected on the grounds of political affiliation.
He said no leader from the Congress, the Indian Union Muslim League or his own party has intervened to protect anyone facing action.
"Regardless of who committed the crime, we were able to act impartially and sincerely for the country and society," he said.
He said that under the second phase, 'Toofan Local', would place the public at the forefront of the campaign, with 'Toofan Grama Sabhas' to be organised in all panchayats and wards.
Chennithala said he and Local Self-Government Minister K M Shaji would visit panchayats to strengthen the initiative and take the anti-drug campaign to every household.
He outlined several components of the programme, including Toofan Strike, under which police would intensify action against drug networks; Toofan Care, for treatment and rehabilitation of those affected by drugs; and Toofan App, offering round-the-clock support from expert counsellors.
A protocol has been developed in association with the Indian Medical Association for Toofan Care, with around 35 major hospitals in the state offering support, he said.
Under Toofan Eyes, camera surveillance would be installed in schools, with the initiative likely to begin in Kozhikode.
Voluntary organisations have offered to provide cameras, he said.
Toofan Play would encourage children to take up sports by providing cricket kits and footballs, while the Toofan Drug-Free Campus Accreditation programme would certify schools as safe campuses under police supervision.
Shaji said Operation Toofan has helped expose the extent to which drug networks have spread across villages and cities.
He said many people are afraid to report drug use or trafficking involving family members or neighbours due to fear of retaliation.
Even during drug seizures, local residents often hesitated to come forward as witnesses, he said.
The government needed to provide people with a sense of security and assure them that the police would stand by them, Shaji said.
The Local Self-Government Department would support the Home Department through 'Toofan Local', he said.
Shaji also announced that his department has decided to amend rules that required laboratory facilities and infrastructure similar to that of a small hospital to start de-addiction centres in panchayats.
He said awareness campaigns alone would not be sufficient to address the drug menace and that de-addiction centres are essential to help those affected return to normal life.
Industry Minister P K Kunhalikutty also spoke at the event.
Local Self-Government Department Principal Secretary Divya S Iyer administered the anti-drug oath.
UDF leaders and senior police officers were also present.
