Ahmedabad west youth falling prey to east’s drug syndicate?

International drug cartels have reportedly made Gujarat a hub for drug trafficking as in the past five years youngsters in the western part of Ahmedabad have been targeted for drug addiction. Meanwhile, drug trafficking networks are being operated from the eastern region.

The drug network is set up by offering free doses of drugs to the youth a few times, creating an addiction, and then using them to establish the trafficking network. The increase in drug use among the youth in Ahmedabad is alarming, prompting the Special Operations Group (SOG) to take actions that were never undertaken in the past decade, achieving significant results in the last three years.

Over ten years, there were only 35 drug-related cases, but in just three years, the SOG has registered 109 cases and arrested 238 people involved in the drug business, seizing narcotics worth ₹5.63 crore, with ₹5.16 crore worth of MD drugs alone.

Ahmedabad’s youth are systematically being drawn into the world of drugs and addiction. Those involved in the drug trade target students and young adults, initially offering free drugs to get them addicted, after which they involve them in the network of drug sales.

The majority of the arrested drug peddlers are from the eastern part of the city, as per reports. The drug trade, however, is prevalent in affluent areas in western Ahmedabad, such as Sindhu Bhavan Road, Satellite, Navrangpura, Naranpura, and other areas that house educational institutions and affluent families.

On December 31, 2022, the SOG arrested Irfan Sethi from Banaskantha and Niyamat Khan Alikhan Nagori on Sindhu Bhavan Road, Ahmedabad, with 296.78 grams of Mephedrone worth ₹29,67,800. In total, 58 cases of Mephedrone have been registered, leading to the seizure of ₹5.16 crore worth of drugs.

The police have devised a strategy to root out drug trafficking and break the larger synthetic drug network by using informants and setting traps to catch drug dealers and peddlers. As part of this effort, the SOG has formed a dedicated team to break the drug cartel network.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jayraj Singh Vala of Ahmedabad’s SOG Crime Branch, a dedicated team has been set up to dismantle the drug network. The team continues to monitor the situation and take action to stop the street-level drug sales.

In Ahmedabad, wealthy individuals and young people are involved in the ‘party culture’, where they consume MD drugs, heroin, opium, and hashish. Many of them snort the drugs mixed with pan masala or inject them, which has raised concerns.

Moreover, drug peddlers are creating a network by involving youth who are initially offered free drugs but later forced into selling them. Many of these young individuals are unable to afford expensive drugs, so they dilute the drugs with chemicals and sell them at lower prices.

The police are also facing difficulties as many accused individuals, after being released on bail, return to the drug trade. One shocking case involved a woman from Dariyapur, who, after serving a 10-year sentence for drug trafficking, resumed her involvement in the business and was caught with 31.310 grams of Mephedrone worth ₹3,13,100.

This growing issue of drug trafficking is concerning for both the police and society, as it continues to affect the youth and communities in Ahmedabad.