Chennai, Feb 7 (IANS): With Tamil Nadu police seizing 112 kg of ganja in the first week of February, the demand for a separate Narcotic bureau in the state police along the lines of Narcotics Control Bureau has gained momentum.

Police officials said that during January, the department seized 485 kg of ganja and this massive seizure of the banned substance has led to the need for a separate narcotics department in the state.

According to police officers who have led the hunting down of peddlers and seized ganja, most of the contraband was reaching the state from Andhra Pradesh. The drug, police says, was pushed into the state in two-wheelers and in luxury four-wheelers, including Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs. In some cases, families are also used to bring in drugs so that the smuggling goes unnoticed.

In almost all the cases, the last link of the chain is being arrested but the kingpins manage to escape. This is the major issue being faced by the state police to bust the ganja gangs.

Students in professional colleges on conditions of anonymity told IANS that drug peddling has become a lucrative deal.

A student of a leading engineering college in Chennai said: "I was involved in doing drug but have quit. This is on an increase in the state and pushers are mostly students who need quick bucks. In most cases the students who bring in these drugs are users and hence proper awareness needs to be created among the students on the pitfalls of this."

Police officers have already submitted a proposal to the state Director General of Police (DGP) on the necessity to crack down on the drug menace and to establish a separate Narcotics division in state police to pursue cases relentlessly and to bring the main players in the trade to books.

They say that unless the major gang leaders are arrested and brought to book, the menace would continue and for that, a separate entity is required.