Operation Toofan: 70 more arrested, cases rise to 7,771

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Police have arrested 70 more people in 68 cases as part of the statewide anti-drug drive, Operation Toofan, further intensifying its crackdown on narcotics across the state. With the latest arrests, the total number of cases registered under Operation Toofan has risen to 7,771, while the total number of arrests has reached 8,346. Police said they have seized 6,175.316 grams of MDMA, 700.903 kg of cannabis, and 690.969 grams of brown sugar since the operation began.

Among the cases registered on the previous day, 18 were for possession of small quantities of narcotic substances, nine for possession of intermediate quantities, and one for possession of commercial quantities. Police also registered 40 cases under the NDPS Act and 31 cases under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). During these operations, police seized 93.096 grams of MDMA, 39.143 kg of cannabis, 597 grams of hashish oil, and six electronic cigarettes from the accused.

Alongside enforcement, Kerala Police continued its awareness campaign against drug abuse. On Thursday alone, officers conducted 96 awareness classes across the state. The total number of awareness sessions held under Operation Toofan has now reached 7,772, while 422 counselling sessions have been conducted so far. In addition, 5,817 awareness programmes have been organised by School and College Protection Groups to educate students about the dangers of drug abuse.

Kerala Police have urged the public to share information about drug trafficking by calling 9497979794 or 9497927797, or by sending messages via WhatsApp to 9995966666. The identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential, police said.