Police hunt for gangs recruiting students into drug trade

Anti-narcotics squads in Kozhikode district have launched a targeted operation to identify and dismantle networks of minor students and senior student groups in schools and colleges who are allegedly being deployed as agents and carriers by inter-district and inter-State drug traffickers.

As part of the initiative, School Protection Groups (SPGs) functioning in more than 250 schools across the district will be mobilised to assist law enforcement agencies in gathering information, strengthening surveillance and identifying vulnerable students who may be drawn into drug distribution networks.

According to police sources, recent investigations into narcotics cases revealed the existence of organised groups that rely on students to expand their reach among young addicts. Officers said such networks often exploit peer influence within educational institutions to create a steady base of buyers and facilitate the secret movement of smuggled contraband.

A senior officer attached to the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) said the latest mission would focus on both prevention and intelligence gathering for continuous action. “Investigations have indicated attempts by organised drug pushers to recruit school and college students as intermediaries. The objective of the new campaign under Operation Toofan is to identify such networks at an early stage and prevent youngsters from becoming part of the dark supply chain,” the officer said. He maintained that various various educational and community stakeholders would play a crucial role in this effort.

The police also plan to strengthen coordination with SPGs, which function under the social policing framework and include representatives of school managements, local community members and police personnel. Officials believe the existing network can serve as an effective channel for detecting suspicious activities involving students and reporting them to law enforcement agencies.

Senior police officers with a district-level special squad under the District Police Chief (Kozhikode city) said social awareness programmes would also be conducted in educational institutions to sensitise students, parents and teachers to emerging trends in drug trafficking. The focus would be on identifying behavioural changes among students, unusual financial transactions and attempts by outsiders to establish with youngsters.

The intensified drive comes amid growing concerns over increasing involvement of adolescents in substance abuse related cases reported from different parts of the district. A senior officer of the Kozhikode city police said the support of educational institutions and college management committees would be essential to the success of the campaign. SPGs have strong grassroots presence and maintain close contact with students and parents. Their cooperation will help us strengthen preventive measures and generate timely information about drug-related activities, the officer said.

Police officers with the shadow patrol squads said the operation would be carried out in coordination with the Excise department and school authorities, with priority being given to protecting students from exploitation by organised criminals in the narcotics traffickers’ network. Drone surveillance and the latest deployment of dog squads would add more power to the ongoing drive, they noted.