Don’t let us step in: Narcotics Bureau’s advice-like warning to Mollywood in closed-door meet

Kochi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has stepped into the rising drug menace in the Malayalam film industry with a warning that sounds like an advice. The NCB on Friday held a closed-door meeting in Kochi with representatives of different organisations in the film industry in a clear signal that the central agency is looking into the matter seriously. 

Multiple sources who know what happened at the meeting said that the NCB officials advised the film representatives to take preventive steps to avoid the agency’s intervention in the issue. The one-hour meeting, chaired by NCB deputy director, took place at the bureau’s office at Kakkanad. 

“The officials said that they have been closely following the drug-related developments in the Malayalam film industry and offered all help to implement precautionary measures. They also sensitised the film representatives about the consequences in case the NCB has to launch an investigation. They said an NCB investigation would be much different from a police or excise action and there won’t be any consideration on the basis of the quantity of an illegal substance seized,” a top film technician told Onmanorama. 

Another source from the industry added: “The NCB officials said they have adequate intelligence about the drug related incidents in the industry. Their argument is that when one celebrity’s drug use gets exposed, there could be at least hundred people influenced by him within or outside the industry.”

The NCB has instructed the film bodies to display on film sets its toll-free number to provide information about drug use and possession. The agency said it would also assist those who need rehabilitation. NCB sources said the meeting was initiated by the film bodies and the agency has offered to help the industry to contain the drug menace with measures adopted in similar situations all over the world.

Actors Jayan Cherthala and Ansiba Hassan represented the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) at the meeting. Other attendees include Anil Thomas (Kerala Film Producers Association), Mummy Century (Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce), Siby Malayil, Sohan Seenulal (FEFKA) and Collins Leo Phil (MACTA). The meeting took place in the wake of the repeated incidents of film artistes and technicians getting arrested for possession and use of ganja. Actor Shine Tom Chacko was recently booked by the police while he and actor Sreenath Bhasi were questioned in another drug case. Filmmakers Khalid Rahman, Ashraf Hamza and Sameer Thahir and singer Hirandas Murali aka Vedan are also facing probe in narcotics cases.