Operation Toofan Crosses 8,300 Arrests as Kerala Intensifies Drug Crackdown

Operation Toofan, Kerala's flagship anti-drug campaign, gathered fresh momentum on Thursday as Kerala Police arrested 70 people across the state. With the total number of arrests reaching 8,346, the campaign continues to combine strict enforcement with prevention and rehabilitation to tackle the growing drug menace.

According to the Kerala Police, the latest crackdown resulted in 70 arrests across 68 cases, taking the cumulative number of cases registered under the campaign to 7,771 since its launch in June. Police said they have seized 6,175.316 grams of MDMA, 700.903 kg of ganja and 690.969 grams of brown sugar during the operation so far.

During Thursday's raids, officers recovered 93.096 grams of MDMA, 39.143 kg of ganja, 597 grams of hashish oil and six electronic cigarettes. Of the day's cases, 18 involved small quantities of narcotics, nine involved intermediate quantities and one involved a commercial quantity. Police also registered 40 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and 31 cases under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).

Launched as Kerala's largest anti-narcotics drive, Operation Toofan adopts a multi-pronged strategy that combines intelligence-led policing, interstate coordination, public awareness and rehabilitation. The campaign targets organised drug syndicates operating through road, coastal and courier networks, with a special focus on the trafficking of synthetic drugs such as MDMA, which authorities say pose an increasing threat to young people.

Beyond enforcement, the initiative has conducted 7,772 police-led awareness programmes, 422 counselling sessions and 5,817 awareness campaigns through school and college protection groups. Police also organised 96 awareness programmes across the state on Thursday as part of the campaign's preventive outreach.

The government has also rolled out 'Toofan Care', a treatment and rehabilitation initiative backed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Following a meeting with Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, the IMA pledged full medical and technical support, stressing that substance abuse should be treated as a public health issue rather than solely a law-and-order problem. The association will prepare a district-level action plan involving police, health officials, mental health professionals and rehabilitation centres to ensure treatment, counselling and social reintegration for people battling addiction.

Officials said Operation Toofan aims not only to dismantle drug trafficking networks but also to reduce demand through community participation, early intervention and coordinated support from healthcare professionals, educational institutions, local bodies and law enforcement agencies, helping build a drug-free Kerala.