Excise in Kochi steps up anti-drug drive with new intelligence wing

The Ernakulam unit of the Excise has stepped up its game in the fight against drug peddling with a renewed internal intelligence system. Two teams, comprising 22 excise officials, have been deployed to gather intelligence on suspected trafficking of narcotic items and other contraband in a move to step up surveillance and preventive measures.

Officials claimed that the mechanism had proved effective, with the leads from the units resulting in at least four seizures in the first week since it was launched.

The cases registered following inputs from the intelligence wing include the arrest of a 28-year-old man with 252.48 grams of suspected MDMA from a lodge in the city recently. In that incident, the alleged drug peddler, Adarsh Sidharthan of Karumadi, Ambalapuzha, was nabbed within hours since he received the contraband. Excise sources said the youth had allegedly collected over 300 grams of the suspected contraband from Manjummel in the suburbs. It is suspected that he had managed to sell off a portion of the contraband to another peddler before being caught, they added.

“The first case we detected following leads from the special internal intelligence squad was over the seizure of one gram of MDMA, followed by two cases of five grams and 11 grams. The squad comprises excise personnel from various offices in the district, and they have been given freedom to move around in plainclothes,” an excise official said.

The two teams are headed by an excise inspector each and comprise preventive excise officers and civil excise officers chosen based on their experience in previous operations and exposure to communication technologies. Excise officials have also started talks with the Narcotics Control Bureau to expand the intelligence network. “The expertise of the national agency will be helpful in tracing and arresting sources of the contraband that excise officials impound,” the official said.

The excise in the district registered 111 cases and arrested 115 persons under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act till January 22. The suspected narcotics seized in the cases include 26.75 kg of ganja, 257.81 grams of MDMA, and 33 grams of heroin, according to official figures.