Crackdown on Bengaluru-Kerala drug trail puts 63 Malayalis behind bars in Karnataka

Sixty-three Malayalis, most of them young, are currently behind bars in Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in connection with narcotics cases, bringing into sharp focus a major drug trail linking Bengaluru and Kerala.

According to the Karnataka Prisons Department, the figures are valid as of June 15. The revelation comes even as Karnataka has stepped up its crackdown on narcotics after drug-related offences in the State surged by 63 per cent over the past year. A Special Anti-Narcotics Task Force has been constituted and surveillance intensified, but authorities have so far been unable to stem the interstate flow of drugs.

The unusually high number of Malayalis arrested in narcotics cases has also reinforced police suspicion that large quantities of drugs continue to be trafficked from Bengaluru to Kerala. Investigators believe narcotics are routinely smuggled aboard private buses plying between Bengaluru and Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, with return services also being used to transport contraband. Inadequate screening on buses and trains continues to hamper efforts to intercept the illicit consignments.

Police recently uncovered synthetic drug manufacturing units operating under the guise of event management companies and warehouses in Bagalur, Kothanur and Avalahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru, as well as in Narasimharaja in Mysuru. The drugs produced there were allegedly trafficked to Mumbai, Goa and Kochi.

Bengaluru has also emerged as a key hub for trafficking synthetic drugs through Foreign Post Offices and the cargo terminals at the city's airport. Police say organised rackets operating on the dark web use cryptocurrencies to facilitate transactions, while an extensive network of intermediaries ensures parcels sent to fake addresses ultimately reach their intended recipients.

Investigators have also uncovered cases in which narcotics were delivered to homes concealed inside food packets through delivery agents working for e-commerce companies. One such investigation, involving the seizure of MDMA worth ₹1 crore allegedly destined for Malappuram, led Kerala Police to Electronic City, Bengaluru's IT hub. In February, Kerala Police also arrested a delivery agent from Assam there in connection with the case.

Karnataka backs Operation Toofan
In a bid to curb the trafficking of narcotic substances from Karnataka into Kerala, both state governments have agreed to strengthen police surveillance at border check posts, enhance intelligence sharing and step up monitoring of interstate bus services. The decision was taken during a meeting between Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

As part of Operation Toofan, the anti-drug drive launched by Kerala, the state will host a conference of Directors General of Police (DGPs) from the southern States in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

Praising Operation Toofan as an initiative worthy of emulation by all States, Shivakumar directed the Karnataka Chief Secretary to coordinate the follow-up measures and ensure close cooperation with Kerala in the anti-drug drive.