In Kerela, ten students came under the narcotics officers' scanner and this happened when the latter asked the officials for a matchbox to smoke ganja.
“Do you have a matchbox?” asked a group of school students after entering a building in Adimaly, a town in the Idukki district of Kerala, reckoning it to be a workshop. They requested the matchbox so that they could light a beedi rolled with ganja, The New Indian Express reported.
However, to their shock, the ‘workshop’ turned out to be the office of the Excise Narcotic Enforcement Squad. Realising their folly, the students — who were on a study tour to Munnar — attempted to flee but were duly caught. On inspection, the officials recovered five grams of ganja and a gram of hashish oil from two students.
According to narcotic squad officials, the higher secondary students from a school in Thrissur had arrived in Adimaly in two separate buses on Monday, October 21. They stayed at a hotel near the Narcotic Enforcement Squad office.
After having breakfast at the hotel, 10 boys went to the back side of the hotel to smoke the beedi rolled with ganja, the officials said. Narcotic enforcement squad CI Raghesh B said there were several confiscated vehicles on the premises of the building, and the students did not notice the name board of the building, TNIE reported.
Speaking about the matter, he said, "Thinking it was a workshop, the students entered the office through the back door and asked the officials who were taking rest after duty for a matchbox. It was only later that the boys noticed the officials in uniform sitting in other rooms,” he said.
Sensing trouble, the boys ran out of the office. However, they were held by the officers later.
Case registered
According to the circle inspector, the students had bought the ganja beedis by pooling their pocket money to enjoy their trip before they started from Thrissur. He said most of the boys in the team were smoking it for the first time.
The officer said a case has been registered against the two students from whom the contraband was seized. Besides, the school authorities were informed about the incident.
The parents of the two students were summoned to the office in Adimaly. The students were later sent with their parents after counselling. According to the officials, the Juvenile Justice Board will take up further proceedings, TNIE reported.
