Iritty: In a bid to prevent the trafficking of narcotics and liquor from Karnataka during the Onam festival season, the Kerala Police and Excise Department have intensified checks at Koottupuzha, along the state border. Hero, a sniffer dog from the K9 Battalion of the Kannur Rural Police, trained to detect narcotics, has also been deployed at the checkpoint.

The special drive comes in view of reports about large volumes of narcotics being smuggled into Kerala from Karnataka via the Makkootam Pass through Koottupuzha. Vehicles entering Kerala from Karnataka are now subject to strict round-the-clock inspections at Puthiyapalam. The main objectives of the drive are to curb the trafficking of liquor, narcotics and black money.

Besides the Police and Excise teams, the District Police Chief’s anti-narcotics squad, DANSAF, is also conducting inspections at various points along the inter-state border. Joint examinations by Kerala and Karnataka Excise officials are scheduled to begin on August 30. The 15-member inspection team is led by Excise Circle Inspector C Renjih, Inspector Sabaridas and senior civil police officer Siban Balan. Since the drive was intensified, five Excise cases have already been registered.

Narcotics trafficking on the rise
Investigations into previous drug bust cases have revealed that dangerous substances such as MDMA, ganja, LSD and other narcotic ampules are being widely trafficked through the Makkootam Pass, often via motorcycles. About 90 percent of these narcotics originate from Mysuru and Bengaluru. While large quantities of ganja were earlier smuggled via buses and goods vehicles, authorities have noted a shift toward individuals carrying drugs.

Officials explained that some traffickers now de-board from buses between Makkootam and Koottupuzha, bypass inspection points on foot and then take another vehicle for their onward journey. As part of the drive, all individuals entering Kerala across the Koottupuzha bridge, except local residents, are being thoroughly inspected.