ALAPPUZHA: The ganja trade continues to flourish in the district in spite of police operations to bust the rackets. Two students of higher secondary school, who were nabbed by the Haripad police on Monday, confessed that they had been supplying the stuff to clients, including girl students. According to Mr N. Rajesh, DySP Kayamkulam, the students were held from Thamallakkal junction near Haripad following a tip-off. At least 300 gm of ganja was seized from their possession. They were selling ganja for the last one-and-a-half years by bringing it from Karnataka by train. The students from Kayamkulam, Mavelikara, Karunagappally and Haripad were the clients and the packets cost Rs 500 and Rs 300, the police said.

The special branch have found that Aroor, Eramalloor, Cherthala, Mannanchery and Alappuzha town, especially Punnamada and Iravukadu areas, were hot spots of the trade. Tamil Nadu is the major source of ganja which is also being transported to Alappuzha from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The district police and the excise wing had launched a new anti-drug campaign ‘Vimukti’ recently. Special squads have been set up in all police stations with the support of student police cadets in the district. However, the supply of ganja has increased due to high demand.