In 2024, Kerala witnessed seizures of 24 kg of MDMA, 2 kg of heroin, and 4,500 kg of ganja

The ancient Lord Shiva Temple at Ernakulam, which traces its origin to the Mahabharata era, faces westward, into the deep ocean, once known as Ratnakara, meaning “trove of gems". This ocean was also known as Sindhu Sagar and is presently known as the Arabian Sea. From time immemorial, plundering pirates, proselytisers, explorers, travellers, traders, and merchants from distant Europe, Arabia, and China have been drawn to this land by its panoramic beauty and wealth. India’s first Finance Minister, Mr RK Shanmukham Chetty (1947-48), famously dubbed Kochi the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. Sadly, the passage of time has witnessed the city’s degradation into a hub for narcotic drugs of all kinds.

Over 2,000 cases filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by the Ernakulam Rural Police in 2024 alone illustrate the gravity of the challenge facing the city. In 2024, Kerala witnessed seizures of 24 kg of MDMA , 2 kg of heroin, and 4,500 kg of ganja. In 2024-25, Ernakulam recorded the highest number of student drug-related cases.

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Kerala registered 27,701 cases under the NDPS Act in 2024, more than three times Punjab’s 9,025 cases, despite Punjab traditionally being considered India’s drug epicentre. Kerala has the highest rate of drug-related cases in India, with 78 cases per lakh people in 2024, compared to Punjab’s 30.

Over the past four years, Kerala registered 87,101 drug-related cases , a 130 per cent increase compared to the previous four-year period. Every district is affected. Thirty murders in the first two months of 2025 were linked to substance abuse – half of all murders in Kerala State.

Alarmingly, data indicates a sharp rise in cases involving minors and first-time users, highlighting the severity of the situation. In just one week of 2025, between 22 February and 1 March, the special task force conducted 2,762 drug busts, arresting 2,854 suspects.

The recreational drug MDMA tops the list of contraband seized in Kerala, alongside cocaine, LSD, hashish, brown sugar, and heroin.

The party drug MDMA is experiencing a surge in popularity in Kerala. This stimulant, also known to cause hallucinations, goes by various street names – molly, ecstasy, X, and XTC. Seizures increased by over 65% in just one year, according to police and excise officials. In the first two months of 2025, 588 youths under 18 sought drug-related treatment at de-addiction centres across Kerala.

Foreign predators are smuggling deadly drugs through Kochi. On 27 April 2025, in a major drug bust, the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive) foiled an attempt to smuggle 5.5 kg of hybrid ganja through Kochi airport and arrested a Malappuram native scheduled to fly to Ras-Al-Khaimah in the UAE.

On 20 March 2025, in a significant drug seizure, customs officers at Cochin International Airport (CIAL) arrested two women arriving from Bangkok with 15 kg of hybrid ganja, valued at approximately Rs 4.5 crore. Since July 2024, approximately 90 kg of hybrid ganja has been seized from Kochi airport alone.

Many traffickers favour hybrid ganja smuggling due to the high profit margin. It is estimated that 1 kg of hybrid ganja can fetch Rs 1 crore in the international market. Demand is high in the Middle East, and Kerala serves as a major transit hub en route to Gulf countries. One kilogram of hybrid ganja is more expensive than the same quantity of MDMA, making it a preferred trade for traffickers.

In May 2025, hybrid ganja worth over Rs 35 crore and 15 kg of chemical drugs mixed in chocolate, cake, and cream biscuits made in Thailand were seized from Calicut Karipur Airport. Three female traffickers were detained by customs.

Data presented in the Rajya Sabha on 2 April 2025 paints a grim picture. According to statistics, drug seizures in Kerala between 2018 and 2022 more than tripled, increasing sharply from 1,378.337 kg in 2018 to 5,639.273 kg in 2022.

Kochi, ranked sixth among India’s best tourist destinations by Outlook Traveller Magazine, is known as the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. However, its growing reputation as a drug destination is tarnishing its image.

A major source of drugs is the substantial migrant labour force, estimated in the lakhs, who see drug selling as an opportunity for easy money. Drugs are entering from as far afield as Myanmar and Assam. Despite widespread operations by law-enforcement agencies to curb drug trafficking and use, there is a growing trend of drug gangs targeting children with narcotics-laced chocolates, sweets, and beverages. There have been reports of gang members stalking schoolchildren, including girls, with romantic advances at strategic locations, such as bus stands and waiting areas, to lure them. The gravity of the issue came to light after a four-year-old boy in Manarcad, Kottayam, reportedly consumed chocolate spiked with intoxicants at his school. Parents are resorting to purchasing drug test kits to monitor their children. The crisis, especially concerning synthetic drugs, has become so severe that the Kerala State Assembly recently dedicated an entire day to a special session to discuss the escalating drug menace.

The pathetically low conviction rate in NDPS cases is deeply disturbing. Central government data presented in the Rajya Sabha on 12 March 2025 reveals that only two convictions were recorded in Kerala between 2022 and 2024. Alarmed by this situation, anti-drug pledges are now commonplace in schools, political rallies, community gatherings, and even religious discourses.

However, the challenge lies in making the judiciary understand that drug crimes against youth and children are heinous offences that can silently destroy generations. Instead of focusing on technicalities and minor lapses, courts need to adopt a broader perspective. A review of many judgements reveals that most cases are lost by enforcement agencies on grounds such as procedural lapses, illegal searches, hostile witnesses, incorrect inventory preparation, failure to conduct test identification parades, inadmissible evidence, delays in sending samples to forensic laboratories, inconclusive forensic reports, and failure to produce the accused before a magistrate or gazetted officer. Escaping punishment on technicalities appears to be the norm.

Enforcement agencies are also culpable for careless and nonchalant investigations. Inadequate training, poor legal knowledge of rules and procedures, and insufficient supervision contribute to the current state of affairs. The situation could be improved by establishing a central legal control room staffed by legal experts in the NDPS Act, its rules, and the latest judgements of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. Upon detection of a case, the legal control room would provide step-by-step guidance on processing the case file in strict accordance with the law. A legal audit of the proceedings would then be conducted to rectify any defects before filing the case in court. This system should be adopted by every investigating agency.

In Kerala today, more young people are abusing drugs than at any other time in history. It has been argued that if this trend continues for the next 10 years, the coastal region will lose an entire generation.

In a recent case decided on 5 March 2025 (Chandrabhan Janardhan Yadav v. State of Maharashtra, 2025 SCC Online Bom 462, decided on 04-03-2025), the Bombay High Court labelled drug addiction a ‘quasi-pandemic’ and called for strict adherence to legal procedures in arrests. Justice Milind Jadhav underscored the importance of balancing national interests against the rights of the accused. He highlighted the global prevalence of drug abuse and the significant challenges it poses to society. He also acknowledged the difficulties faced by prosecutors in defending cases marred by procedural lapses.

Justice Jadhav’s ruling directed all police commissioners and superintendents in the state to stringently enforce the provisions of the NDPS Act and associated rules. He referenced a 2024 communication from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to all state governments concerning the model FIR for registration of NDPS cases, emphasising the need for precise legal adherence. He called for enhanced training and education for statutory officers to ensure they exercise their powers judiciously and lawfully, expressing hope that strict implementation of laws and rules would significantly contribute to curbing drug-related offences and fostering a drug-free society.

The writer is Former Director General, Multi-Disciplinary School of Economic Intelligence, and National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.