Due to consistent efforts, smuggling of ganja from neighbouring states to Tamil Nadu for local consumption has reduced, the state police said on Thursday.
An analysis of 21 major cases registered in 2023 shows that 90 per cent of the seized contraband was targeted for supply to Sri Lanka and a comparatively small quantity for Kerala. Out of 7,600 kg of ganja involved in such cases, 6,900 kg was meant for Sri Lanka and 205 kg for Kerala, the Tamil Nadu police said in an official release.
Detailing the efforts taken to control the drug menace in the state, the police said the 'Drugs-Free Tamil Nadu' conference chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin on August 10, 2022 chalked out new strategies to control the supply of narcotics and reduce its demand.
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As part of the mission of a creating a drugs-free Tamil Nadu, more than 18,000 Anti-Drug Clubs were formed in schools and colleges in the state. Last year, Tamil Nadu Police received the Skoch award, given by the private think tank of the same name, for its initiative 'Drive against Drugs'.
In the year 2023, a total of 10,256 cases have been booked against 14,770 persons, resulting in a seizure of 23,364 kg of dry ganja, 0.953 kg of heroin, 39,910 tablets of scheduled drugs and 1,239 kg of other narcotics.
During the current year, till January, a total of 511 cases have been booked against 799 persons and 2,099 kg ganja, 8,038 tablets of scheduled drugs and 113 kg of other narcotics have been seized. Due to the stringent control on the movement of ganja, people who are dependent on the substance, however, began to resort to the abuse of scheduled drugs, police said in the release.
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"This is called substitute effect. In view of this, a drive was launched against unauthorised sale of scheduled drugs. It resulted in a substantial seizure of tablets. The seizure, which was 420 tablets in 2019 and 555 tablets in 2020, increased to 11,133 in 2021 and 63,848 in 2022," the release added It has come down to 39,910 in 2023.
