Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 9 (PTI) Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Monday said the state government’s anti-narcotics drive, ‘Operation Toofan’, would join hands with the Centre’s similar initiative, ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’, as suggested by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Speaking to reporters, Chennithala said there was no need to disagree with the Centre’s initiative and that the state would join forces with it.
He said Shah had appreciated the gains made by the state’s anti-drug drive and suggested the tie-up.
‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ means Drug-Free India’.
Shah had also suggested bringing all communities together in the fight against drugs, he added.
The minister said the police were seizing large quantities of narcotics in the state and that Operation Toofan had received widespread public support. He said the drive was moving into its next phase of care and rehabilitation of drug addicts.
“That is the most important thing for us. Around 35 hospitals have agreed to be part of the rehabilitation process. A meeting of their representatives will be convened in the state capital soon,” he said.
In a post on X, Chennithala said the fight against drugs could not end with arrests. “Toofan Care, the next phase of Operation Toofan, will begin on November 16, with a focus on treatment, rehabilitation and helping people affected by addiction return to normal life. A lasting anti-drug strategy must combine firm enforcement with treatment, recovery and reintegration,” he said.
He said crimes in the state had come down by 35 per cent as a result of the drive.
“That is not enough. We need to take it forward even more strongly. Operation Toofan is not coming to an end. It is a continuous process to protect our coming generations from the harmful effects of narcotics,” he said.
In a statement later in the day, the State Police Media Centre said 15,902 persons had been arrested and 14,723 cases registered so far under Operation Toofan, which was launched on June 1 this year.
The police have seized about 29.5 kg of MDMA, 2,010.74 kg of cannabis and 8.16 kg of hashish oil, besides other narcotics, it said.
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as Molly or Ecstasy, is a banned substance. PTI HMP SSK
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