To their co-passengers in the government bus, 40-year-old Mallika*, her husband and their two teenage daughters are like any regular family. There is shrill laughter, banter and the munching of snacks. The backpacks look mundane for those undertaking the 60-km-long journey from Surutapalli in Andhra Pradesh to Chennai. But inside the bags are stashed the family’s decade-long secret — packets of ganja The modus operandi may remind one of the scene in recent Tamil flick ‘Kolamavu Kokila’ where the heroine and her family smuggle drugs , throwing people off the scent by making it seem like a normal outing. But for Mallika and her family, every time they make this journey, the risks are real. Then there are fake families. Couriers, mostly young girls from Madurai, Theni and Andhra Pradesh, bring the weed stashed in backpacks through inter-state government buses where checks are very rare. Travelling in groups of four or five, laughing and enjoying like a happy family, they fool policemen if any.Couriers like them have been taking this route to smuggle ganja into Tamil Nadu for the past 10 years. At Surutapalli the quality of ganja is good and police presence negligent. Once the contraband is in the city, men like Selvam* take over. Now 29, Selvam has been in the business for more than a decade. Dressed in khaki, he seemed restless when TOI met him at a park on Venkatnarayana Road. Even as he spoke about the business, he kept a watchful eye on men around him to ensure there were no plainclothes policemenSelvam says the business scene has changed over the years. "There are dealers, who supply ganja to clients on request, and peddlers who set up shops on roadside in places such as TP Chatiram Road and Nungambakkam," he says.Selvam calls himself a dealer and says he supplies students of Madras Medical College and the Law College. Unlike a roadside trader, he dresses up in branded clothes as his clientele includes those who check into star hotels. And he is choosy about his customers."I sell to clients who will not cause nuisance. Most of our clients lead lavish lives," he says. "The peddlers sell the drug in small packets of `100," he adds, almost condescendingly.While the ganja sold may be smoked up in a few whiffs, procuring the contraband is time-taking."Dealers visit plantations in Surutapalli. Brokers take us from the bus stop to the shed where the harvested stock is kept. We smoke the weed from different piles that are sorted according to their quality. We test samples every two hours and choose according to our budget," he says.A ‘top grade’ ganja per parcel weighing 2kg costs around `20,000. In Chennai, it fetches a profit of `35,000. But dealers don’t return to the city with it.In come the couriers.Depending on the route they take, couriers have different points where they drop the packages for the dealers. Handovers are made at Sulurpeta, Gummidipoondi, Red Hills, and Singaperumal Koil in Chengalpet. "The location and route are changed often depending on police movement," Selvam says. "We chop the ganja finely and roll it into ready-to-smoke joints. We meet customers at upscale places for delivery," he says.The joints are wrapped in newspapers and sealed at both ends to keep the moisture away. This keeps the joints intact when thrown away, especially into bushes, during a police chase. "Only if the police arrest us with ganja the case stands," says Selvam who has given police the slip several times. "But police are aware of the network Policemen have taken bribes and let me off on many occasions."Over the years Selvam has learned many tricks of the trade. One of them is not selling contraband to random customers. A prospective buyer is introduced through a common contact, usually the dealer’s regular customer. At the meeting point, the buyer has to come up with a set of answers (for samples see graphic). Delivery points are also changed if Selvam smells a rat.Being a police informer is another tactic. "Once I faced a lull in my ganja business. I had stocked up many parcels and wanted to sell them. So I tipped police about a few other peddlers. They got busted. But I too became a victim soon. Police arrested me during the same crackdown," he recalls.After starting as a part-time dealer 10 years ago, Selvam, once a driver, wants to break free from the trade now. "I got lured into it because of the money. But I can’t live in fear forever," he says. "I have broken my old SIM card and haven’t done any business for 20 days. I want to quit."Selvam may be mulling to stop his trade, but that will have little effect on narcotics trade in the city where users are moving towards meth and similar products.

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