Kerala’s anti-narcotics drive ‘Operation Toofan: The Narco Hunt’ has prompted a wider southern push against drug trafficking, with five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry agreeing to set up a permanent inter-state coordination mechanism.
The initiative was launched by the Kerala government amid concerns over a growing drug culture among school and college students. State officials said the operation—named ‘Toofan’, meaning storm—aims to steer young people away from substance abuse.
During statewide checks under the operation, more than 200 people were arrested and narcotics, including ganja, were seized in kilogram quantities. Following these results, senior police officials from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry met in Thiruvananthapuram, along with senior officers from central intelligence agencies.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the meeting decided to appoint coordination officers of SP rank or above across all southern states to streamline intelligence sharing and ensure swift action against inter-state trafficking networks. Central agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Customs and the Railway Protection Force also agreed to nominate nodal officers.
The coordination body will hold periodic meetings and step up joint enforcement on key trafficking routes and entry points, including state borders, roads, buses, trains and airports. Authorities also plan tighter monitoring of online platforms, courier services and ‘drop’ delivery methods, along with joint health and police action to prevent misuse of medicines obtained through pharmacies. Kerala said it will strengthen dedicated anti-narcotics units in 20 districts and set up additional special courts, including two more in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, while implementing a central proposal for 10 more special courts to fast-track drug cases.
