more-in Amid reports of increase in the incidence of drug addiction in Kochi, a team of Excise sleuths will soon be leaving for Goa to trace rackets supplying feel-good party drugs in the city. Officials said the team would be taking Saneesh Sarvothaman, who had landed in excise net last week while trafficking drugs, along with them to identify the racketeers and their areas of operation. “We have approached the court seeking his custody for six days so as to take him to Goa and trace the origin of the drugs seized from him. This is crucial in identifying the rackets because investigations so far have suggested that he had trafficked drugs from there on several occasions over the past couple of years,” said A.K. Narayanan Kutty, Deputy Excise Commissioner, Ernakulam. Besides, steps are in place to trace the persons who had been in constant touch with the youth over phone. According to the official, the ongoing investigation is primarily focused on tracing the Goan connection to the influx of synthetic drugs to the city. Anti-narcotic officials pointed out that Kochi was becoming part of a scene involving affluent youngsters who take party drugs as a fashion statement. Based on the finding, they have also begun collecting inputs on youngsters frequently travelling to destinations like Goa and Bengaluru, purportedly for getting linked up with dope dealers. Rave parties Meanwhile, the department is at a loss to launch a crackdown on rave parties reportedly taking place in cruise vessels off the Kochi coast. They received inputs on drugs making to these boats while interrogating Saneesh, whose clients also include those attending such cruise parties, organised along the lines of those in Goa. “Making interventions in such parties requires the assistance of agencies such as the coastal police and the Coast Guard. In such a scenario, conducting a sudden inspection when a party kicks off is nearly impossible because we need to follow certain procedures to coordinate with these agencies,” officials explained.

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