Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan will launch Operation Toofan, a major anti-drug enforcement drive by the Kerala Police, on June 2 at the Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala will preside over the event, which will also be attended by Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, General Education Minister N. Samsudheen, Excise Minister M. Liju, and Transport Minister C. P. John.
The initiative aims to build a technology-driven system to curb drug trafficking and improve real-time information sharing on drug use and distribution across the state. Authorities plan to create a digital surveillance network using mobile applications and WhatsApp-based chatbots, allowing the public to anonymously report drug-related activities.
As part of the programme, officials will identify drug-affected zones using wastewater analysis in educational institutions and residential areas. The plan also includes drone-assisted smart patrolling to strengthen monitoring and enforcement.
The Home department will also introduce an anti-drug awareness curriculum in schools to educate students about substance abuse. In addition, assets linked to drug trafficking will be confiscated as part of stricter enforcement measures.
The drive will also focus on curbing tobacco sales near schools and cracking down on drug use and distribution at high-end hotels, DJ events, and gatherings in coastal and backwater regions.
Ahead of the school reopening, Thiruvananthapuram City Police conducted large-scale raids as part of the initiative. Working with the city corporation, they seized banned tobacco products from several shops.
In the Medical College police limits, five sacks of tobacco products were confiscated, and multiple illegal roadside stalls and bunk shops suspected of involvement in the trade were removed during the crackdown.
