Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Sep 7: A ‘rowdy parade’ was carried out in which people engaged in consumption and peddling ganja in and around Mangaluru city by police commissioner Vikas Kumar on Monday September 7. He said that rowdy parade in all station limits is being conducted, particularly of those involved in communal violence and drug cases.

"This is a very important war against drugs where youths are severely affected and now the issue is on the rise. We have to bring awareness that this is not at all good for the youth and need to be curtailed in a big way," he said.

He said that those who are caught indulging in drugs and with repeated offences, strict action would be taken against them. If needed, the Goonda Act will be invoked against them or even exiled from the area. "We are into a continuous war against drugs and determined to ensure that youth should not fall prey to it, stay away from it be it peddling or consumption," he said.

Out of 90 peddlers in the parade on Monday, six to seven were students. "I want to send a message to students to stay away from this as their career will be ruined," he said.

The purpose of this move is to control NDPS issues, warn peddlers not to get indulged and strict action would be taken. "If anyone wants to come back to the mainstream, we are ready to help them by providing medical assistance. We are getting information that drugs are being supplied from Kerala, distant locations like Goa, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. We cannot rule out drugs being supplied from abroad. We are looking at that angle too. In the last two months, ten cases of ganja have been detected," the commissioner said.