Thiruvananthapuram: When Rasal C.A. and Sahal M.S., two social media influencers who run a local Instagram page in Kerala named Perumbavoor Stories, set out to shoot a video capturing their hometown’s market and daily life on a Sunday, little did they know that their video would spark a storm.
During the shoot, they came across many people allegedly using drugs in public, which eventually became the theme of their reel. The video, made on 31 May and uploaded on their Instagram page soon after, garnered more than 2 million views by the next morning, with several popular figures sharing it and tagging Kerala Police’s official social media page.
Police searched the neighbourhood, leading to multiple arrests. Rasal, 25, and Sahal, 27, say they received calls from the office of the Ernakulam SP and state home minister Ramesh Chennithala appreciating their efforts.
Rasal told ThePrint the recognition made them feel like they were contributing to a social cause in their hometown. Perumbavoor, an industrial town near Kochi, is known for its large population of interstate workers.
The episode also highlights the Kerala government’s new initiative to fight drugs in the state, Operation Toofan, launched on 2 June. The campaign brings together multiple departments, local police units, local communities and social media influencers in the effort to combat the drug mafia.
Since the launch of Operation Toofan, police have registered 3,910 cases, made 4,201 arrests, and seized 1,932.4438 grams of MDMA and 339.019484 kg of cannabis, according to data shared by the state police headquarters Thursday.
One of the latest busts, which the police announced Thursday, included 18 kg of hybrid ganja in Kochi, with the police arresting two persons.
According to the police department, the initiative operates through a multi-level coordination mechanism.
While the office of nodal officer Putta Vimaladitya oversees the operation at the state level, it is executed by district police units in coordination with local police stations.
Police rely on their own intelligence network, but two contact numbers have also been made available for the public to share anonymous tip offs.
Besides this, influencers like Rasal and Sahal also pass on information to the police, which is verified before any action is taken.
The public engagement by Kerala Police and Chennithala on social media has also generated considerable buzz in the state.
Dr Anchal Krishnakumar, deputy director and PRO of the state police media centre, told ThePrint that the idea of engaging social media and the public was part of the initiative from the beginning.
“The home minister had a special interest in this initiative since he had done similar operations in the past. Normally, such projects are part of an action plan for a fixed period. Once that period ends, activity slows down before beginning again. The plan here was to keep it going,” he said.
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From stations, reels to street
Kerala has launched several anti-drug initiatives over the years.
In 2016, the state launched the Vimukthi Mission to combat alcohol and drug abuse, with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar serving as ambassador under the slogan of a drug-free Kerala.
In 2022, the Kerala Police launched Operation D-Hunt, a statewide anti-narcotics crackdown targeting drug trafficking and consumption.
When he was home minister in the Oommen Chandy government between 2011 and 2016, Chennithala himself had launched Operation Suraksha, a police drive to crack down on crime and drugs in the state.
More recently, ahead of the 2025 local body elections and the 2026 assembly election cycle, the senior Congress leader led the anti-drug campaign ‘Proud Kerala’, under which walkathons and awareness programmes were organised across the state.
However, multiple police officials told ThePrint that the new initiative has gained significant traction due to its emphasis on public participation, which the department actively encourages.
The minister has consistently maintained that Operation Toofan is built around three parts: Toofan Strikes, an enforcement wing that focuses on raids and seizures; Toofan Warriors, the awareness initiative; and Toofan Care, which helps with rehabilitation.
Actor Mohanlal and religious leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar are among the prominent Toofan Warriors.
Alongside press releases, the police also use social media for regular outreach.
Kerala Police’s social media pages regularly post reels and videos showing arrests, seizures and awareness activities. The outreach also includes podcasts and promotional campaigns featuring popular figures in the state.
Police officials say the success of influencers such as Rasal and Sahal has encouraged more local content creators to upload videos highlighting suspected drug activity and tag the Kerala Police. They add that such information is verified before any action is initiated.
To prevent citizens from taking policing into their own hands, officials stress that members of the public are only expected to share information and not conduct investigations themselves.
“The police actions are also being shot and released as reels. As for the public, nobody is allowed to take the law into their hand. The public has no role other than informing the department,” Krishnakumar said.
As part of its plans, the state government has also sought support from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Puducherry, as police say a significant portion of narcotics entering Kerala comes through interstate routes, including trains and ports.
More awareness programmes, including street plays by a theatre group attached to the state police, are also expected to be rolled out across districts in the coming months.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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