Food delivery workers fear stigma amid claims of drug links and police checks

Increased police checks in the name of anti-narcotics squad have caused some trouble for real delivery staff, says Kerala state concert workers union | Photo credit: File photo

Food delivery workers in the state rue that they have come under a cloud of suspicion with Home Minister Ramesh Chennithal’s repeated remarks linking the sector to the drug trade. The gig workers community has expressed concern about increased police surveillance in the name of the recently launched nationwide anti-drug campaign, Operation Toofan: The Narco Hunt.

Mr. Chennithala recently addressed the media in Alappuzha and Kochi and warned deliverymen involved in drug smuggling to stop the practice or face legal consequences. He said police have received complaints that drug traffickers are abusing food delivery networks to transport narcotics across the state.

Stakeholders in the sector said there have been cases of hawkers misusing uniforms and storage boxes bearing the names of food aggregators to escape police scrutiny. “More than anyone else, it is the delivery workers who are engaged in delivery to earn a living who want the police to crack down on those who misuse their identity to trade drugs. However, increased police checks in the name of the anti-narcotics unit have created some difficulties for the actual delivery staff,” said VS Sunilkumar, secretary, Kerala State Gig Workers Union (AITUC).

He said it takes at least 10 minutes for the police to complete a routine check, resulting in a significant loss of time for deliveries. He called for the deployment of more technically proficient police officers for inspections so that they could verify orders in the hand of the delivery person without wasting time.

Thasbeer TT, a delivery man in Kochi, echoed this sentiment. “I was checked around midnight on Saturday (June 27) near the Infopark in Kakkanad when I was supposed to deliver food. Unlike the previous cases, now we have to open food storage boxes during the checks. It causes some trouble, although I don’t want to blame the police for doing their duty,” he said.

Abhishek Manohar, who has been in the online food delivery business in Kochi for two years, said he has observed a change in the attitude of the police of late. “Now surveillance has been strengthened. Along with this, there is a sense of disdain in the attitude of some police personnel,” he said.

Meanwhile, some insiders said on condition of anonymity that drug traffickers were trying to sneak into the sector, considering it a safe channel. “Some of them sign up as delivery men and work as others. Meanwhile, they are also involved in drug delivery. While most of us have worked in this sector to make ends meet, a few, mostly young people, may be taking advantage of the opportunities to make easy money,” said the delivery man.

A senior police officer coordinating the campaign said the minister’s remarks reflected intelligence inputs and police conclusions based on intelligence. “However, there will be no harassment in the name of police checks,” the officer said.

In recent years, several arrests of alleged deliverymen with suspected narcotics have been reported from various parts of the country, including the state.

Published – 28 Jun 2026 21:38 IST