Migrant workers alone cannot be blamed for Perumbavoor’s drug menace: Chennithala

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday (July 3) that migrant workers cannot be held solely responsible for the drug menace in Perumbavoor, issuing a strong warning to drug trafficking networks in and around the town.

The Minister said that the fact that Keralites are among those who have found a lucrative job opportunity by smuggling drugs under the garb of migrant workers cannot be ignored. He was addressing a public meeting in connection with the police’s statewide anti-drug operation, Operation Toofan: Narco Hunt in Perumbavoor.

“Most drug users in Perumbavoor may be guest workers… but there are Keralites too. Some locals find drug dealing an attractive job. The police are after them,” he said.

The minister said he chose Perumbavoor to launch Toofan Jagaran, an awareness rally as part of the anti-drug operation, as the United Democratic Front (UDF) government and the Home Ministry are giving extra importance to the security and growth of the town.

“Our aim is to save Perumbavoor, the plywood capital of the country, from being labeled as a drug hub,” Mr. Chennithala said.

He said the drug mafia operating in Kerala became less active after the first phase of the police operation. “They think that after the initial excitement, the police will stop the driving and after a few months everything will be back to normal. I warn them that they will be handcuffed if they do not stop the illegal activities,” the minister said.

He said the police had registered 5,260 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrested 5,634 people in a month since the operation began. He said about 70 people were sent to rehabilitation.

He said the police would set up a special task force to deal with drug cases. Addressing concerns over the ease with which many people arrested in drug cases are granted bail, he said Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan has been told to raise issues regarding loopholes in the NDPS Act in Parliament.

State police chief Ravada Chandrasekhar will hold a meeting with his counterparts in neighboring states on July 10 to discuss steps to prevent cross-border drug smuggling, he said.

The minister also attended a public rally and interacted with the merchant and trader community. After the public meeting, Mr. Chennithala visited Bhai Colony, a settlement of migrant workers in the town, and interacted with the residents. He presented ‘Toofan Warrior’ badges to representatives of migrant workers and fulfilled his commitment to fight drugs in Hindi.