Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi highlighted the grave issue of drug abuse and illicit trafficking at the launch of the National Awareness Campaign in Chennai, held on the eve (25 June 2024) of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Ravi expressed deep sorrow over the recent Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which claimed the lives of 58 people due to the consumption of poisonous alcohol. “This event today is unlike any other day because we are observing this day in the dark shadow of a large number of loss of human lives,” he remarked. “Our people have died, more than 60 in Kallakurichi due to poisonous alcohol that they took. This is very, very painful for all of us.”
The governor thanked those working to raise awareness against drugs and underscored the findings of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) concerning international drug cartels. “NIA has found out that there are international drug cartels in Tamil Nadu and Karachi that are operating and getting heroin from Afghanistan. It is being done. I think it is a very serious thing,” he said.
Ravi stressed the wide-ranging impact of drug abuse, noting, “When the drug comes, it is not that it only destroys the individual’s health, mental health, and emotional health, but with this, it also creates a lot of social problems.”
The governor called for a united effort in combating drug abuse, urging that the issue be addressed beyond party politics. “The government and society must come together and fight drugs with resolve. No party politics must be involved in this. This fight is beyond it,” he emphasized. Ravi warned of the heavy toll drug abuse takes on mental health, particularly among young people, and highlighted the rise of synthetic drugs, which he described as “highly addictive and kill the person from within.”
Addressing concerns over the presence of synthetic drugs in Tamil Nadu, he questioned, “My question or worry is, when parents are aware of this problem, how are enforcement agencies not aware? We must not be in denial.”
Reflecting on past incidents, Ravi noted, “Last year, more than 20 people died due to illicit alcohol in Villupuram and Chengalpet. We made a hue and cry, seized and destroyed lakhs of illicit arrack, and now we have gone back to it again.” He stressed that denial complicates the problem and urged a proactive approach.
The NIA’s investigation revealed alarming findings, including the presence of international drug cartels with connections in Tamil Nadu, Karachi, and Dubai, involved in smuggling heroin from Afghanistan. Ravi emphasized, “This is a very serious thing,” and revealed that the NIA had also seized drugs and AK-47 rifles off the Kerala coast.
Concluding his address, Governor Ravi called for vigilance and a strong united front against drug abuse and illicit alcohol. “We must keep our eyes open. We can’t wish away the problem by denying it,” he asserted. “Government and society must come together and fight drugs with resolve.”
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi says, "NIA has found out that there are international drug cartels in Tamil Nadu and Karachi that are operating and getting heroin from Afghanistan…" pic.twitter.com/naDPbYKli5
— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually on 26 June.
(with inputs from ANI)
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