Kerala CM suggests inter-state collaboration with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry to fight drug smuggling

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan Photo Credit: ANI

Kerala on Wednesday sought to get the governments of neighboring Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to fight the interstate flow of marijuana and synthetic drugs such as MDMA and crystal meth through joint enforcement and intelligence sharing.

Chief Minister VD Satheesan has written to his counterparts in the three states to join forces to bust criminal enterprises that thrive on drug smuggling.

He also focused on coordinating with central agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs and Central Excise, to identify and strangle illicit financial channels used by drug smugglers, including international hawala networks.

Mr. Satheesan contemplated joint patrolling of interstate borders, covert surveillance to identify student networks that act as mules for narcotics smugglers, guerilla cultivation of marijuana in homes and apartments using the latest hydroponic techniques to alleviate the growing social, financial and public health burden caused by the spiraling abuse of drugs, especially synthetic narcotics such as LSD. stamps.

Mr. Satheesan also highlighted the arrests of foreigners (recruited by local gangs to cook meth in clandestine backyard labs in urban areas) in connection with drug (mainly MDMA and rarely cocaine) smuggling by the Kerala police, pointing to the international dimension of the illicit drug trade.

Operation Toofan

Mr. Satheesan’s appeal to his counterparts in neighboring states assumes significance in the backdrop of Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala launching Operation Toofan, a large-scale nationwide anti-drug drive.

Kerala also timed the move less than a month after Tamil Nadu announced a drug-free Tamil Nadu campaign aimed at busting the networks of narcotics smugglers.

Notably, both Kerala and Tamil Nadu have separately expressed concerns about synthetic drugs, particularly MDMA, becoming the drug of choice among the younger generation, fast replacing traditional marijuana and its derivatives such as hash. Kerala has also drawn attention to the growing illegal importation of potent varieties of genetically modified marijuana – hybrid marijuana – mainly from countries like Thailand, which has decriminalized the drug.

The senior official said that information that can be used is key when taking down synthetic drug networks, given the easily concealed nature of stimulants such as methamphetamines and traces of LSD. He said the street price of narcotics sold to the end consumer in Kerala increases manifold considering the risks and costs associated with smuggling.

Another investigator involved in Operation Toofan said joint enforcement drives targeting interstate buses, border controls, trains and private courier agencies were not in the offing.

Published – June 24, 2026 12:05 PM IST