“Kerala’s drug crisis: ‘God’s Own Country to ‘Ganja’s Own Hub’. Coastal trafficking, rapid spread and rising NDPS cases, explained”, Opindia, October 13, 2025
“When the name ‘Kerala’ comes up, education and health often come to mind, thanks to extensively positive reporting on these two sectors by the left-leaning media. But is Kerala such a model state? Behind the curtains, and not in a hidden manner, Kerala is struggling with a drug epidemic. From cities to villages, not a single corner of the state is free from the problem. Hundreds of lives have been shattered, and families across the state have been broken as an outcome of the growing drug problem.
Traditionally, Punjab is seen as India’s drug epicentre. However, recent reports paint a grim picture of Kerala. In 2024 alone, the state registered 27,700 narcotics cases, which is three times more than Punjab, which registered just over 9,000 cases. Considering the population of the southern coastal state, Kerala is reporting 78 cases per lakh people. Reportedly, all 14 districts of the state are affected. In the first two months of 2025, there were 30 murders reported in the state, half of which were related to drug abuse.
According to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on 12th March this year, Kerala has consistently topped the list of NDPS Act cases over the past three years. The state reported 26,918 cases in 2022, rising to 30,715 in 2023, and 27,701 in 2024. Punjab followed with 12,423, 11,564 and 9,025 cases respectively, while Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh reported fluctuating but lower figures. The trend indicates Kerala’s dominance in narcotics-related offences, far exceeding traditional hotspots like Punjab……”
Read full article at opindia.com
