Superintendent of Police GK Mithun Kumar said that the district police has no tolerance for drug dealing and consumption in Shivamogga district.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Kumar said that the proactive measures taken by the police have led to an increase in the number of cases registered related to drug smuggling and consumption.
Recently, in a meeting chaired by School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, who is also the minister in-charge of Shivamogga, the issue of drug trafficking and consumption of ganja was discussed.
Besides, Karnataka Women Commission Chairperson Nagalakshmi Choudhary expressed serious concern over the issue during her visit to the district.
Sharing details of the cases registered in the district, Mr. Kumar said that the police had registered 420 cases of ganja consumption in 2025. Of these, 289 were in Shivamogga town alone.
“This year, the number of registered cases is the highest compared to the last two years. According to the statistics, there is a chance to conclude that the consumption of ganja has increased. But the cases have increased due to the proactive steps taken by the police. We have increased the number of tests. Whenever we find people breaking the rules of the road, engaging in minor clashes or showing suspicious behavior, we subjected them to consumption this year alone.204 Among them, 420 people tested positive, 289 were reported in Shivamogga town,” Mr. Kumar said.
The Superintendent of Police said his personnel were conducting exercises within the limits of the respective police stations, including foot patrols and questioning of people congregating in public places. “If we find that someone’s behavior is suspicious, such people are taken into our custody for further investigation,” he said.
Drones
Mr Kumar said drone cameras were being used to monitor illegal activities on the outskirts of the city. The cameras would help capture footage of the accused. “We will pick them up for questioning later. If they are found to be consuming ganja, we would initiate further investigation,” the officer said.
This year, the police registered 35 cases against 80 traders. “We have sent our teams to Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh and other places from where the accused allegedly brought ganja and other drugs,” he said.
The government has created task forces at all stations to curb drug trafficking. Additional Superintendent of Police, S. Ramesh Kumar, would be the district nodal officer for drug-related cases. He would follow the cases and monitor the investigation regularly. The officials would also coordinate with the officers of other departments for joint action against drug abuse and consumption of ganja.
Mr. Kumar said that the government has launched Sanmithra. Under this program, every drug user and peddler would be matched with a police officer. Officers monitored the movements of a peddler or user to check whether such a person was encouraging others to pick up the habit or supplying drugs to others.
“Through this exercise, we hope to prevent drug trafficking and drug consumption. The staff will be in contact with the person until they are free from addiction,” he added.
Published – 02 Dec 2025 19:58 IST
