After clamping down on major drug peddling networks, the Coimbatore City Police are in the efforts to engage college students and seek their assistance to keep the city clean from drugs.
City Police Commissioner N. Kannan told The Hindu that anti-drug clubs will be formed in all the colleges in the city and they will work closely with the police.
These clubs will have teaching faculty, students and personnel from the respective police stations as members.
According to the Commissioner, a meeting of representatives from the managements of colleges will be convened soon to discuss the initiative.
After the formation of the clubs, awareness sessions will be conducted for students, covering the ill-effects and illegalities of the use, possession and supply of drugs. They will also act as extended intelligence networks of the police. Any information shared by the members of the clubs will be treated with high-level confidentiality.
Drug circulation come down
Mr. Kannan said the overall circulation of drugs in Coimbatore city came down significantly, after the police cracked down on two major drug networks that were involved in the peddling of synthetic drugs and ganja.
The city police in different operations arrested key persons involved in the large-scale supply of synthetic drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and LSD.
Similarly, persons who had been procuring ganja in large quantities from other States, including Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand and Tripura, and peddling them in the city have been arrested.
The police also arrested persons involved in the procuring of prescription drugs in bulk quantities from other States and their sale in Coimbatore, resulting in the reduction of overall circulation of drugs across the city.
Revival of police boys and girls clubs
Mr. Kannan said the city police will also revive the police boys and girls clubs, which used to function under different police stations.
These clubs will address the lack of quality recreational facilities in their neighbourhoods of children from underprivileged backgrounds, besides offering them a space for leisure, learning and personality development. Activities at these clubs will also help children reduce screen time and stay away from the influences of anti-social elements in their surroundings.
Published – February 05, 2026 01:07 am IST
