Chennai police in hot pursuit of drug syndicate, vows to crush mafia

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police have arrested several drug racketeers and peddlers as part of its drive against substance abuse in the city.

Sources in the Chennai police told IANS that special squads have been constituted to trace the drug mafia and crush the circulation of drugs.

While several complaints had come before the Chennai city police on the increase in drug use among the young generation, the police has been lethargic.

Sources in the police told IANS that after the arrest of the former operative of the LTTE, Sabesan alias Satkunam following the seizure of huge consignment of drugs in the Arabian sea, in October 2021, there has been a reduction in the operation in the drug sale in Chennai and surrounding areas.

However, of late, the city police have arrested a few persons who were involved in the sale of synthetic drugs including MDMA. The interrogation of these people have revealed that the drugs were arriving in small consignments into the city from South Tamil Nadu especially Thoothukudi and Rameswaram area.

A senior officer of the Chennai police said, "Drug mafia had for some time been quiet in Chennai and adjoining districts but now there is a sudden spurge in drug trafficking and new gangs have emerged. The police have got several tips from the ground and have arrested a few persons who are supplying drugs in the city. However the major players are still elusive and we are tracking their hideouts and will apprehend them soon."

Several road accidents and crimes have been attributed to having been under the influence of drugs and the Chennai police formed special squads to crush the menace from the city.

Dr Rajani M. Menon, a child psychologist with a leading medical college in Chennai, said, "Several school children have fallen prey to the drug mafia, and during counselling, we got information that the mafia is catching them young, especially the girl students. Fellow students are used as drug pushers and we used to report each and every drug abuse case to the concerned police station. With an increase in such complaints and directly from parents, the police have now commenced the operation to crush the menace and its welcome."

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been trying to regroup themselves and sources in the police told IANS that some ultra-Tamil national elements have entered into a tie-up with the Haji Ali network which supplies drugs from Pakistan to raise the funds for the LTTE activities.

Intelligence agencies have also tipped Tamil Nadu police on some people trying to increase the smuggling of drugs into the state and to sell it in small packets for raising funds for the operation of the Tamil movement.