Kerala's anti-drug authorities have intensified their operations across the state, resulting in a major crackdown in Malappuram district where four individuals, including a serving college teacher, were arrested on suspicion of drug peddling. The arrests were made by the Malappuram Police in coordination with the Kerala State Narcotics Control Bureau during a targeted operation that uncovered a small but active trafficking ring operating near educational institutions.
The college teacher, whose identity has not been released pending formal charges, was apprehended alongside three other accused. According to police sources, the group had been supplying ganja and other narcotics to students and local residents in the area. Search warrants executed at multiple locations recovered a quantity of cannabis preparations and drugs commonly used in the region. The accused were remanded to judicial custody following interrogation.
In a separate development, nine additional persons were held across different parts of Kerala on charges of possessing narcotic drugs. The arrests were carried out by law enforcement agencies acting on intelligence inputs over the past 48 hours. Authorities declined to release detailed figures on the quantity of drugs seized in these cases, citing ongoing investigation protocols.
Kerala has long struggled with drug abuse, particularly among its youth population, making it one of India's states most affected by the narcotics crisis. The northern districts of Malappuram, Kannur, and Kasaragod have historically reported the highest incidence of drug-related offences. The state government launched a renewed anti-drug campaign last year after a spike in fatalities linked to contaminated substances.
Senior police officials stated that the crackdown is part of a systematic drive to dismantle supply chains feeding the local market. Investigators are now tracing links between the Malappuram arrestees and larger networks operating in coastal Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, regions known to be transit points for narcotics entering Kerala from international sources.
