Cops intensify vigil against drug mafia

KOCHI: In the wake of the growing number of ganja seizures in the city, the police have intensified the measures to curb the illegal activity. City Police Commissioner M R Ajith Kumar has issued orders to all police stations in the city that action, including strict monitoring of migrant labourers, must be intensified.In the notification sent to all the police officials in the city, the City Police Commissioner has directed them to be on their toes in view of the rising number of ganja cases in the city. The written communication has specifically mentioned the role of the migrant labourers who are being used as the carriers of ganja from West Bengal and Orissa and the need to monitor them. The police are all set to intensify the checking and raids to put a tab on such illegal activities. “The notification might have been issued on the suspicion that the migrant labourers are used as carriers of ganja by the mafia active in and outside the state. The police have been alerted that the checking and raids must be conducted so that no one should engage in such activities any more,” Saju Joseph, Assistant Commissioner, Narcotic Cell, said.The police have done a commendable job against the ganja mafia which has been  active in the city. In the last three months, over 50 people were arrested and about 30 cases registered in connection with drug trade. These included mass seizure of drugs and intoxicating tablets. The shadow police team headed by Special Branch Assistant Commissioner M N Ramesh had been keeping an eye on the operation of the drug mafia. Railway stations and places where ganja trade has been going on are under the constant vigil of the city police and shadow police. The increase in the inflow of the migrant labourers has been advantageous to the mafia for they can use the labourers to transport the stuff from West Bengal, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. In this wake a high alert has been sounded to monitor them,” Ramesh said.