Drug rackets are luring female porters to expand their network in Kerala

In response to an RTI query to the excise department, which is in the possession of TNIE30 women have been arrested under the NDPS Act in 29 cases across the state this year, till July.

In addition, 35 minors have also been arrested. The figures indicate a significant increase in women and youth involvement since 2022, as only 24 women and 16 youth were arrested in 2021.

Ernakulam Deputy Excise Commissioner TM Maju said that in some cases women are not only porters but also operators of the smuggling.

“Excise sleuths uncover several cases of narcotics involving women, especially in Kochi. There is a practical problem in body examination of women during preliminary suspicion and the female drug traffickers are exploiting this situation to mislead the enforcement authorities,” Maju said.

“Moreover, the authorities often do not want to disturb families during vehicle checks and the women peddlers, under the guise of family, evade the checks. However, the excise authorities have tightened controls in suspicious situations and several cases are now being discovered.” Maju added.

This year, of the 30 districts arrested, Ernakulam and Malappuram top the list, with seven women each arrested under excise charges, while five each are from Kollam and Palakkad districts.

The women and minors are now largely focused on the smuggling of synthetic drugs, and the seizure of the contraband confirms this fact.

The Kerala Police statistics also show an increase since 2021. According to their figures, fourteen women and four youths were arrested in narcotic cases that year.

By 2023, this number increased to 61 women and 16 youth respectively, the RTI response said.

A senior police officer said women are often used to lure young girls into the world of substance abuse. They start by befriending schoolgirls and gradually expose them to dangerous drugs.

“In many cases, boys are also involved, who use their relationships to lure their girlfriends into this trap,” he added.

While there has been a rise in the number of drug cases involving women and children, an officer pointed out that their involvement in the overall scheme of cases is meager as 21,965 people have been arrested by the Kerala Police in 2023.

South Zone IG S Shyamsundar said, “Of the drug cases registered by Kochi police last year, 30% were cases involving women. Of these, 90 percent are young women under the age of 30. Basically, these young people get involved in the drug trade for easy money.”