Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 22 (IANS): In a bid to step up the vigil against drug trafficking, the Kerala Police have come out with a list of 1,681 key drug traffickers and named 162 of them to be taken into preventive detention.
These recommendations have been handed over to the state government where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan holds the home portfolio.
Kannur district - the home of Vijayan has the highest number of traffickers with 465 being active in business, followed by Wayanad and Kasargod with 210 each, Kollam- 189 and Kozhikode rural with 184.
The police have also identified 114 drug dealers whose assets will now be confiscated and have identified another 65 who have become rich through this criminal activity.
In this calendar year, the Police and Excise have until October 24, arrested 779 people for dealing in drugs.