Narcotics cases on an upward spiral in Kerala

In Kochi, the number of cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act have shot up from 1,268 in 2020 to 6,914 in 2025. The pattern is similar in many other districts in the State. Enforcers are relentless in their hunt, but the peddlers mostly manage to outwit them with innovative means. G. Ragesh details how the outcome is proving detrimental to the young people in the State