On the high street

Alarming trend

As another International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking arrives on June 26, the grim reality is that Bengaluru is not only a nodal point in drug trafficking but also a prominent consumer.

Officials with the Narcotics Control Bureau confirm that those who regularly consume and peddle drugs in the city are those aged between 18 and 40 years. While men form a large chunk of those who are caught, women too are not far behind. Of these, foreigners, especially those from African countries, form a seizable number.

According to Narcotics Control Bureau, areas in Bengaluru like Indiranagar, M G Road, Brigade Road, interiors areas of Whitefield, Banaswadi, Kammanahalli, R T Nagar and parts of Majestic are notorious for selling drugs. Sunil Kumar Sinha, zonal director,  Narcotics Control Bureau (Bengaluru), explains that peddlers sell psychedelic drugs like Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), charas, marijuana, hash and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). “There is a definite market for these drugs in Bengaluru. Each drug gives a different kind of a high. LSD falls under the category of psychedelic drugs, MDMA gives a lot of stamina and cannabis, also known as marijuana, transports the user into a sort of trance,” says Sunil.

He says that Narcotics Control Bureau recently seized illicit drug making machines from Mangaluru. “We busted a racket where a group would search the Internet for drug combinations that would give the same effect of the more expensive drugs and mix them to create a new flavour. These locally made drugs were being supplied to Bengaluru and Goa as well.” 

He states that most of the drugs peddlers are found around areas that have a lot of colleges, hotels and parties. Sunil also says that a few foreigners living in the city have a big hand in the consumption and peddling of drugs. “We recently caught three Nigerians selling drugs. We have also arrested people from Namibia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Philippines and Paraguay for carrying drugs. These are mostly students who have overstayed in the city and whose passports have expired,” adds Sunil.     

It’s not only the Bengaluru City Police who conduct surprise raids on raves, farmhouses and high-end hotels, whenever they get a tip off about drug peddling.

A senior police officer with the City Crime Branch says, “Parties with a lot of youngsters are bound to have drugs such as LSD and MDMA, circulated in small quantities. We find that most people at parties and those attending music concerts have already consumed these drugs. If we get information about drugs being peddled then we immediately crackdown on them.” The senior officer also informs that they have increased the frequency of surprise raids across the city.  

Psychologists say that regular consumption of drugs cause long-term damage to the brain, kidney and heart. Dr Pratima Murthy, Professor of Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction Medicine, NIMHANS, says that she has seen instances where young people have been rushed in to emergency for cases of a drug overdose.

“The consumption of Cocaine, stimulant drugs and inhalants are being regularly used. We have observed that there is also a shift from usage of illicit drugs to pharmaceutical drugs which is more dangerous. There is a sharp increase in the usage of sleeping pills and narcotic pain killers among youngsters,” informs Dr Pratima Murthy.

Most people take to drugs because of peer pressure. “Those who are temperamental and restless and experience bouts of depression and loneliness fall prey to drug addiction. More than rehabilitation, youngsters must stay away from wanting to experiment with drugs,” she cautions.