Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said that several new anti-narcotic campaigns will be launched in schools in the state on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse on June 26.
Speaking to reporters here, Chennithala said that all the MLAs have decided to inaugurate the campaigns, including awareness programmes, in schools in their respective constituencies.
Referring to the government's anti-drug initiative 'Operation Toofaan', he urged everyone to join it irrespective of their political leanings, to help make Kerala drug-free.
He also said that police will catch all those persons who are engaged in the sales, distribution and manufacturing of drugs in the state and urged those involved in such activities to stop the same.
The minister also claimed that a lot of people were giving up drugs following the government's awareness campaigns, and they were also taking part in the efforts to uproot the drug network in the state.
Meanwhile, Ernakulam Rural District police said that as part of Operation Toofaan, it has till now arrested 73 persons, registered 60 drug-related cases and seized 60 kilograms of cannabis, 780 grams of hashish oil and five grams of MDMA.
It also said that so far this year, around 400 kg of cannabis, 775 grams of MDMA, 780 grams of hashish oil and 680 grams of heroin have been seized from the rural district area of Ernakulam.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.