Kerala expands Operation Toofan as Bhutan adopts anti-drug model

The Kerala government has established a new Anti-Narcotics Investigation Team to strengthen its ongoing drug enforcement initiative, Operation Toofan. The special team will consist of three dedicated units based in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode, specifically tasked with handling high-value narcotics cases involving interstate and international connections.

Under Operation Toofan, Kerala authorities have registered 10,918 cases and arrested 11,776 individuals. Significant seizures include over 23 kg of MDMA, 1,475 kg of cannabis, and various quantities of heroin, cocaine, and hashish oil. The initiative recently led to the arrest of four key network members following a covert operation that tracked suspects across multiple Indian states.

Inspired by these efforts, Bhutan plans to launch its own major anti-drug campaign modeled after Operation Toofan. Bhutanese Home Minister Lungten Dorji expressed appreciation for Kerala’s crackdown on trafficking networks and indicated plans to study the implementation of the program through official visits.