• Deadly High: How Narcotics Are Fueling Crime in Kerala
• From Paradise to Peril: Kerala’s Drug Crisis Explodes
Nirmal Jose
Sprouts News Exclusive
Kerala, long resistant to the waves of drug abuse that swept across India, is now grappling with an unprecedented narcotics crisis, one that experts say is even more severe than Punjab’s infamous drug epidemic. The state, often hailed as “God’s Own Country,” is witnessing a disturbing rise in drug-related homicides, violent crimes, and organized drug networks infiltrating every layer of society.
The impact of synthetic drugs like MDMA, LSD, and methamphetamine has been particularly devastating, leading to a 21.33% surge in the murder rate in 2025. These crimes, increasingly linked to gang rivalries and personal disputes fueled by substance abuse, are tearing apart families, infiltrating schools, and destabilizing communities.
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• Synthetic Drugs, Crime, and the Shocking Rise of Patricide & Matricide
A Sprouts investigative report has unearthed a chilling trend—a spike in patricide and matricide cases linked to drug addiction. Law enforcement officials confirm multiple cases where children under the influence of synthetic drugs have murdered their parents.
This disturbing development underscores the growing nexus between the drug mafia and students. Recruitment into drug peddling has become a lucrative trap for youth, lured by promises of quick money and an extravagant lifestyle. In multiple cases, students arrested for drug trafficking had direct ties to political student organizations, raising concerns about political protection shielding drug syndicates from legal action.
• Crime Data Manipulation: The Dark Side of Official Reports
The State Crime Bureau’s records fail to capture the full extent of Kerala’s drug-fueled crime wave. A massive 48% of recorded homicides lack specific circumstantial details, raising suspicions of data suppression to protect politically affiliated groups.
Moreover, 42.13% of Kerala’s total homicides in 2025 have been linked to gang violence backed by political sponsors. This trend is particularly alarming in Trivandrum, Quilon, and North Kerala, where turf wars between drug cartels have become increasingly violent.
• Women, Minors, and the New Faces of the Drug Trade
A new, disturbing pattern is emerging in Kerala’s drug trade—the rising involvement of women and minors.
– Women are being recruited as drug carriers to expand syndicates while evading law enforcement scrutiny.
– Teenagers and college students are becoming active participants in drug distribution, a shift that mirrors international cartel strategies.
– Upper-middle-class districts have recorded the highest increase in drug-related homicides, aligning with global studies indicating that drug users are more likely to become both perpetrators and victims of violent crimes.
• Border Districts & Suburban Hotspots: The New Crime Epicenters
Border districts like Kannur, Kasaragod, and Idukki are recording skyrocketing drug-related crime rates, including a disturbing rise in MDMA overdose deaths.
– Kannur’s suburban and rural areas are seeing an increase in homicides as drug networks expand beyond city limits.
– In Idukki, economic hardships are pushing youth into criminal activities to sustain their addiction, resulting in a sharp rise in violent offenses.
– Kozhikode’s rural pockets have witnessed multiple murders of drug users, making them easy targets for rival gangs and criminals.
In housing colonies like Chengal Choola in Trivandrum, territorial conflicts between drug suppliers have led to deadly assaults and targeted murders, often allegedly backed by political figures.
• Chief Minister’s Warning: Cybercrime & Drug Mafia Pose an Existential Threat
Kerala’s Chief Minister has acknowledged the urgent need for aggressive crackdowns on synthetic drug syndicates, warning that:
The unregulated spread of drugs, combined with modern cybercrime tactics, poses a significant and growing threat to our society. We need a unified approach to dismantle the nexus between criminals, drug traffickers, and political protectors.”*
The government is now under intense pressure to launch a multi-pronged strategy, including:
– Stronger law enforcement measures through intensified anti-drug operations.
– Public health interventions to tackle drug addiction at its root.
– A crackdown on politically shielded drug networks that have long operated with impunity.
• Operation D-Hunt: Kerala Police’s Last-Ditch Effort
State Anti-Narcotics Task Force Head and ADGP (Law & Order) Manoj Abraham has confirmed that Operation D-Hunt is now underway. This initiative, jointly executed by the NDPS Coordination Cell and District Police Chiefs, is being supervised directly by State Police Chief Dr. Sheikh Darvesh Sahib.
However, experts warn that law enforcement alone cannot solve Kerala’s escalating crisis. Without urgent rehabilitation efforts, public awareness campaigns, and political accountability, the state risks falling into a long-term cycle of drug-fueled violence and crime.
• Is Kerala the Next Mexico?
The rapid transformation of Kerala into a narcotics battleground raises a terrifying question—is the state on the path to becoming India’s version of Mexico’s cartel-ridden regions?
With drug mafias gaining unprecedented control, murder rates surging, and political protection shielding criminals, the next few months will be crucial in determining whether Kerala can reclaim its lost safety or succumb to the spiraling drug menace.