A man holds ganja packets seized by excise sleuths (Image used for representational purpose). Photo: ManoramaKochi: Drug traders and peddlers take a cue from the most intelligent beings on earth - ants. They store and stock to brace for bad times. The Kochi police have received information of massive drug hoarding ahead of the monsoon. Drug dealers and small-time agents were hoarding drugs, mostly cannabis, in its dried format, as its procurement and processing would be tough during the rains, sources said.
Drug-enforcers said the end-sale spots had largely been busted and closed after intensive operations in the past years. Anyhow, excise sleuths had reported large-scale ganja growing in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This had caused a drop in the prices of drugs last year.
Drug dealers use hapless migrant workers to transport cannabis in goods trucks and interstate buses, sources said.
One kg of marijuana costs around Rs.5,000. The drug rackets here reaped high profits by selling a 5 gram pouch at Rs.200, they said.
Drug abuse in schools
The excise department had last year detained youths who sold cannabis to school students after mingling with them by wearing school uniform. Culprits who used the bags of LP School students to hide cannabis were also nabbed.
This year again, a shadow team of the excise department be on the stakeout near schools to keep a watch on such peddlers. 'Operation Karuthal,' being launched by the excise department will will try to curb sale of drugs near schools.
