Kozhikode city police are expanding drone surveillance of newly identified drug hotspots

Cops set up a drone before conducting aerial surveillance of a suspected drug hotspot in Kozhikode. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Anti-narcotics units under the Kozhikode city police have stepped up raids once again by expanding drone surveillance of newly identified drug hotspots in the city and its surrounding areas as part of a renewed enforcement strategy to track down drug peddlers at large.

Two trained drone pilots from the Special Branch were tasked with conducting regular aerial surveillance and blitz inspections to monitor locations suspected of being used for drug trafficking and consumption. The initiative is expected to strengthen intelligence gathering and improve the ability of police forces to detect illegal activities in hard-to-reach areas.

Stations, bus stands, migrant worker camps, abandoned land and large derelict properties with old buildings, including the Mavoor Gwalior Rayons land and the Comtrust factory site, have come under heightened aerial surveillance. These areas have been identified as vulnerabilities based on intelligence inputs and recent investigations.

Civilian police officers M. Santhosh Kumar and Vipin Das have been commissioned as drone pilots by District Superintendent of Police (Kozhikode City) AP Shoukath Ali to conduct surveillance operations with the help of technology. Drone-based monitoring forms a key part of the city’s police “third eye” strategy to curb the narcotics trade.

Police have also stepped up enforcement at the ground level with support from the district headquarters’ K9 unit. The unit, currently coordinated by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) PK Dhananjaya Babu, who is additionally charged with the position of deputy commander, has deployed three trained narcotics detection dogs – Blacky, Robin and Kiya – along with six handlers to assist in search operations and surprise inspections.

Special branch officers coordinating ground-level operations said the two specialized squads are carrying out intensive inspections as part of Operation Toofan, a state-level anti-drug campaign. They attributed the growing number of drug-related cases detected to the coordinated efforts of these specialized teams supported by local police units. The ongoing drive will be further intensified with the identification of new drug hotspots by local police stations and District Anti-Drug Special Forces (DANSAF), they added.

According to the latest data from the District Office of Crime Records, the city police arrested 615 suspected drug dealers in the last month. After the deployment of the district anti-drug squad and a 20-member special strike unit, nearly 600 cases were registered.

During the period, units seized 318.65 grams of suspected MDMA. The seizure also included ganja, hashish oil, brown sugar and other narcotics seized from various parts of the city during enforcement operations.

A senior police officer from DANSAF said any attempt to obstruct or threaten members of the anti-narcotics squad would require stern action. Referring to a few isolated cases where police personnel were allegedly assaulted while conducting checks, the officer said the accused had already been arrested in some cases.

Published – 06 Jul 2026 19:31 IST