Kerala registers 300% surge in drug related cases in 6 years

Police reportedly registered 26,629 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2022

In 2022, Kerala registered a 300 per cent surge in cases related to narcotics, liquor and banned tobacco products compared to 2016 when 5,924 cases were registered. The jump in cases came after a series of drug hauls by police and the Excise department.

Police registered 26,629 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2022, as per The Indian Express report.

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The cases which have been surging since 2016 witnessed a dip during the pandemic years of 2020, 2021 and 2022. However, they increased drastically in 2022.

Excise data shows the number of people arrested for cases under NDPS grew 87.47 per cent between 2016 and 2022 — from 3,217 to 6,031. The number of cases registered during this time went up 104 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of raids recorded went up marginally, from 1,39,366 in 2016 to 1,44,200 in 2022. Cases registered by the Excise department under the NDPS Act show a steady rise from 2016, and 2019 has the highest number in six years.

Additional Director-General Police and Excise Commissioner S Ananthakrishnan said the steady rise in drug-related cases in Kerala is a factor of both “strict enforcement and raids” and easier access to the contraband.

“Accessibility of synthetic drugs such as MDMA and LSD has increased. Youngsters are now aware about the availability of synthetic drugs. There is also peer pressure to explore these drugs,” he told The Indian Express.

As per data, 7,775.425 gm of MDMA drug was seized by the department in 2022, making it the highest seizure in the last 6 years.

The Kerala Excise Department's study showed that cannabis is the main drug used by teenagers in the state. The study said 46 per cent of the surveyed teenagers consume drugs more than once a day.