Over 30 lakh people join Kerala anti-drug campaign Operation Toofan
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the public response to the UDF government's signature programme has been encouraging.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Thursday that over 30 lakh people have become 'Toofan Warriors' by participating in the state's anti-drug initiative. Speaking at an awareness event in Palakkad, Chennithala noted that the campaign has seen significant public involvement, according to reports by Hindustan Times and India Today.
The minister led a Toofan Jagaran rally and administered an anti-narcotics pledge to hundreds of attendees. He mentioned that superstar Mohanlal was the first individual to be named a Toofan Warrior. Chennithala stated that the programme aims to go beyond enforcement by focusing on prevention, counselling, and rehabilitation to reduce drug demand.
Police data released on Wednesday shows that 15,515 people were arrested in 14,369 cases during the first five months of Operation Toofan. Of these, 1,173 individuals were remanded to judicial custody. Seizures during this period included 1,960.139 kg of ganja, 28.659 kg of MDMA, and various other substances such as heroin, cocaine, and hashish oil.
Chennithala recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss state priorities. The minister noted on X that Shah appreciated the progress of the operation and indicated support through the Nasha Mukt Bharat framework.
The government is now expanding its efforts through Toofan Thaddesham 2.0 to improve vigilance and rehabilitation. A new project, Toofan Ice, will soon install surveillance cameras in government schools connected to police stations.