Over the past few months, there has been a spike in the number of narcotic drugs seized by Customs officials at Chennai airport. Taking note of the increased activity in drug peddling across the state, the Madras High Court on Tuesday granted two more weeks to the Tamil Nadu government to file a report explaining the steps taken to eradicate drug peddling. The court had already requested this report in an earlier session.

Additionally, during the hearing the court observed that there was "a clear collusion" between the police and drug peddlers across the country.

A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice V M Velumani passed the interim order after Additional Public Prosecutor Prathap Kumar, representing the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, sought more time to file the report as sought by the court in its previous hearing. Hearing a habeas corpus plea moved against detention of a drug peddler under the Goondas Act, the bench had on July 16 directed the Central and the state governments to file a detailed report explaining the steps taken to eradicate drug peddling in the country.

Kumar claimed there were some practical difficulties in obtaining required information due to the COVID-19 situation. Recording the submissions, the court granted two more weeks to file the report.

The court had then observed that drug abuse that has already engulfed Punjab should not be permitted to spread to other states of the country, including Tamil Nadu. It had then directed the governments to explain as to whether youngsters are involved in such peddling due to unemployment and as to whether such money is used for anti-national and terror activities.

Since March 13 this year, Customs in Chennai seized 2,700 pills of ecstasy, 33 grams of MDMA, 25 LSD stamps and 1.7 kgs of high-quality cannabis – all banned under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, 1985. So far, three persons have been arrested in connection with these seizures. The most expensive bust so far was on March 13, when more than 1,000 “Blue Punisher” Ecstasy pills were seized.

(With inputs from PTI)