Palakkad , Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday said more than 30 lakh people have joined the state’s anti-drug campaign as ‘Toofan Warriors’, as the government sought to expand its crackdown on narcotics through public participation, prevention and rehabilitation.
“Operation Toofan is the signature programme of the Keralam government. The state Home Minister’s remarks come amid an intensified police drive against drug networks. More than 30 lakh people across the state have taken the pledge and become Toofan Warriors so far,” he said, according to our estimates. 15,515 people had been arrested in 14,369 cases during the first five months of Operation Toofan, according to police figures released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, authorities said the government was expanding the preventive and rehabilitation components of the campaign through Toofan Thaddesham 2.0.
Addressing a large anti-drug awareness gathering in Palakkad, he described ‘Operation Toofan’ as the signature programme of the UDF government and said the campaign had received an encouraging response from the public. In a post on X, the minister said the campaign was not confined to arrests and enforcement measures but also focused on preventing drug abuse and helping those affected to rebuild their lives. Through Operation Toofan, the government was strengthening prevention, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, as lasting success depended not only on curbing the supply of drugs but also on reducing demand, he said.
