Heroin smuggling rises in Keralam: migrant workers under scanner in Perumbavoor

KOCHI: The use of heroin, a highly addictive drug that can cause dependency after even a single use, is becoming widespread among migrant workers in Keralam. Open drug use has been reported in areas like Perumbavoor in Ernakulam. The contraband is being smuggled from West Bengal and North-Eastern states by hiding it inside hollow statues and soap boxes. For retail sale, the drug is packed into tiny plastic bottles, even smaller than homoeopathic pill containers. Due to their small size, police and excise officials often struggle to detect these bottles during routine inspections.

Recently, three Assam natives were arrested in Angamaly for smuggling 600 grams of heroin hidden inside 47 soap boxes. Investigations reveal that the primary agents behind this trade are from Assam and West Bengal. One kilogram of heroin is valued at approximately Rs 25 lakh. Dealers purchase a gram for Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000 and sell it for three to four times that price. Heroin is preferred by smugglers because it offers massive profits even in small quantities.

Heroin is derived from opium. While Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium, the drug mainly enters India through Myanmar and Bangladesh. Officials noted that much of the heroin currently circulating is adulterated or fake.

Shift in smuggling routes Previously, heroin from Afghanistan was smuggled into India via Pakistan. However, this route was blocked as security was tightened at the borders of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Similarly, the sea route via Sri Lanka has also been disrupted due to strict patrolling by the Indian Coast Guard and Navy.

52 foreigners behind bars Currently, 52 foreign nationals are in various prisons in Keralam for heroin smuggling. Among them, four have been convicted, while 48 are undergoing trial. Between 2017 and 2018, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) registered five cases in Kochi alone. Nationals from Venezuela, Paraguay, and El Salvador have also been arrested in connection with these drug trafficking networks.