Thiruvananthapuram: Police have intensified both enforcement and public awareness campaigns under Operation Toofan: The Narco Hunt, the statewide anti-drug initiative launched by the home department to crack down on narcotics trafficking and abuse.During inspections conducted across the state on Saturday, police registered 779 cases and arrested 806 persons in connection with drug-related offences.The seizures included 332.2106g of MDMA and 8.532kg of ganja. Police also detected 12 cases involving intermediate quantities of narcotic substances and two cases involving commercial quantities. In addition, 479 cases were registered under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) for violations related to tobacco control.Alongside enforcement, police have expanded anti-drug awareness initiatives across the state. On June 25 and 26, a total of 3,986 awareness programmes were organised to strengthen public participation in the fight against substance abuse.Of these, 3,051 programmes were conducted in schools and 315 in colleges. Outside educational institutions, 393 programmes were organised in association with residents’ associations, sports clubs and similar organisations. Another 52 programmes were held with the support of religious organisations, 94 by political and youth organisations, and 78 in collaboration with govt offices and voluntary organisations.Police said the objective of Operation Toofan is not only to take stringent legal action against drug mafias but also to transform the anti-drug campaign into a people’s movement by involving educational institutions and social, cultural, religious and youth organisations. The police said both enforcement operations and awareness campaigns will continue to be intensified across the state.
