Latest news with #Amalraj
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Encrypted messaging apps aid in the sale of narcotics, says ADGP A. Amalraj
The proliferation of encrypted messaging applications and social media groups has made tracking drug sales and transactions more complex, according to A. Amalraj, Additional Director-General of Police, Enforcement Bureau-CID. Drug-law enforcement agencies tightened vigil on habitual offenders and known drug syndicates, but those who smuggle narcotic substances through land and sea borders are transacting on social media platforms. 'Social media platforms are now being used to sell narcotics disguised as candies or chocolates — a trend that has prompted swift police crackdowns. Nightlife venues, hostels, and college campuses remain the prime targets for drug-peddlers,' Dr Amalraj said. Based on a robust strategy encompassing prevention, detection, enforcement, inter-agency coordination, destruction of contraband, financial investigations, and youth awareness programmes, Tamil Nadu's response stood out as a model for other States, he said. The State police had intensified operations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, targeting hotspots of drug activity and adopting advanced surveillance methods. The illicit drugs were mostly trafficked from other States. Between 2021 and 2025, the Tamil Nadu Police had seized over 107 tonnes of Ganja, 3.2 lakh tablets of pharmaceutical drugs, and 1,223 kg of other narcotic substances. Ganja-infused chocolates Dr. Amalraj said the seizure of 5,250 ganja-infused chocolates in July, 'which were meant to be sold discreetly to college students', was one example of the evolving tactics of drug syndicates and the proactive response of law-enforcement agencies. Underscoring the need for community participation in eradicating the menace of drugs, he said an appeal had been made to the people to report suspected drug activities on designated helplines (10581), WhatsApp (9498410581), and email (spnibcid@ Dr. Amalraj said Tamil Nadu's proximity to States where the drugs originated and its extensive coastline made it a strategic location for drug-traffickers. To control the trafficking of drugs into the State, regular coordination was established with the Anti-Narcotic Task Forces of the neighbouring States. These partnerships facilitated enhanced surveillance, intelligence-sharing, and joint raids, particularly in border areas and on drug-smuggling routes. He said the drugs were not just a social problem but an illegal business often tied to elaborate financial networks. In this backdrop, the State had aggressively pursued financial investigations to dismantle the economic infrastructure supporting narcotics trade. Between 2021 and 2025, law-enforcement agencies froze 8,949 bank accounts and 45 properties valued at more than ₹21 crore. Recognising that prevention was more sustainable than cure, the State launched awareness campaigns targeting schools and colleges. The 'Enakku Vendam, Nammaku Vendam' initiative reached over 74 lakh students who pledged to stay away from narcotics. The Chief Minister administered an anti-drug pledge every year to students on August 11. Dr. Amalraj said the State had turned its educational institutions into frontline battlegrounds against substance abuse. Anti-drug clubs now functioned at almost all colleges, coordinated by district-level monitoring teams that reported to the Collector and the Superintendent of Police. Volunteers were trained in identifying early signs of drug usage and counselling. New threat While traditional narcotics like ganja and heroin continued to pose challenges, Tamil Nadu was facing a new threat — the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs. Between 2023 and 2025, seizure of pharmaceutical drugs rose sharply from 39,910 to over 1.42 lakh tablets. These included prescription drugs, such as painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, anti-depressants, and stimulants, often diverted from legal channels or procured from online platforms. This alarming trend prompted increased regulation of pharmacies and monitoring of e-commerce platforms. Investigators cracked down on the prescription drug trafficking networks. Reports suggested that illegal distribution networks spanned States like Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Dealers employed various methods, including the crushing of tablets for injection, combining drugs with nitrous oxide, and selling them in the form of a candy, the ADGP said. He said the State's anti-drug strategy went beyond punitive action. The State had inaugurated 25 de-addiction centres at government hospitals to offer free treatment, counselling, and vocational training. In parallel, Kalangarai Centres offered integrated support for addicts seeking reintegration into society. This was a positive step to wean off those caught in the web.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Carrots, zucchini, parsnips: Give your potato fries a healthy twist
In today's time, habits can be hard to break, but when everyone's looking for a healthier alternative for just about everything, why not fries, too? Whether you're after something healthier, trendier, or just a little unexpected, here are some amazing veggies that can satiate your cravings without being bad for you. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Healthy options take over restaurants Bengaluru-based chef Amalraj says that today's fitness-focused customers are leaning more towards healthier food options, and that the sweet potato fries on their brewery's menu are a hit. 'Sweet potato fries have become increasingly popular, especially among health-conscious guests or those looking for a slightly sweet and unique flavour while packing in on the nutrients,' he shares. Air frying uses significantly less oil, making the fries much lower in fat and calories. The texture may be slightly less crispy than deep-frying, but with the right prep (cornstarch coating, brushing with oil), you can make it just as crunchy as your deep-fried snacks Chef Amalraj Why choose air frying over deep-frying? 'Using an air fryer with minimal oil significantly reduces the calories in crunchy snacks like fries,' dietitian Greeshma Kamath shares, adding, 'Deep-fried fries are likely to have unhealthy fats and more calories. Difference between air-frying and deep-frying Calories in 100gm of air-fried carrot fries: 70–90 kcal Calories in 100gm of deep-fried carrot fries: 200–250 kcal Less calories, more nutrients Given that veggies like carrots and beetroots are nutrition-dense, these fries are not just tastier, but healthier, too. Alternatives to potato fries Sweet potato Zucchini Carrots Beetroot Parsnips Eggplant Cauliflower
New Paper
25-06-2025
- New Paper
Young people in Singapore carrying weapons as 'fashion accessory': Counsellor
Young people may be carrying weapons in public as a "fashion accessory", and brandishing them during heated arguments, a counsellor who works with at-risk youth flagged. Mr Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, co-founder of the charity Impart, said he has seen an increasing number of young people carrying weapons as accessories in the last 10 years. "Some of these weapons look quite nice, so (young people) buy them and carry them around to show off," he said. Mr Narasimman, who said some of the weapons can be found on sale on platforms like Carousell, Telegram and Facebook, added that they would be used when these young people get into confrontations with others. His comments come in the wake of a spate of incidents over the last year that saw young people linked to violent crimes. In March, a 16-year-old was convicted of rioting with a deadly weapon after he brandished a flick knife at another teen during a group attack, which involved five others aged 13 to 17. The teen, who has yet to be sentenced, had asked the victim if he wanted to "try the knife". In September 2024, a 22-year-old man was charged with murder after a brawl in Kitchener Road. Three other men and two women were charged with rioting with a deadly weapon over the same incident. In June 2024, a 19-year-old was charged with voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. He had allegedly slashed a 20-year-old man with a chopper during a fight in Sembawang. Mr Amalraj Thevar Manivannan, 27, is a friend of Mr Dhinessh Vasie, who died in the Kitchener Road brawl. "He was so young and there was so much ahead for him," said Mr Amalraj of the 25-year-old victim. A father of a three-month-old girl, Mr Amalraj said he is concerned that young people may be carrying weapons in public. "My worry is when my daughter starts going to school. Will there be enough advocacy against violence and use of such weapons, or will things be worse?" he said. Official figures from 2019 to 2023 show that the number of offenders aged 10 to below 21 involved in offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act had climbed from 92 to 133. Offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act involved mainly youth who were seen with offensive weapons such as knives. The Straits Times checked and found weapons like karambit knives sold on online platforms like Carousell and Shopee, many with intricate designs and videos demonstrating how they could be used. The karambit knife is a scheduled weapon. Possession of a scheduled weapon - which includes flick knives, gravity knives and knuckle dusters - without lawful authority can result in a jail term of up to five years, with a minimum of six strokes of the cane for a first conviction. Mr Narasimman said the use of weapons in the gaming world can play a part in influencing a young person to carry a weapon in real life. "It becomes a thing for them to have a weapon, because in the game, a weapon increases the chance of them winning the fight. It conditions them to think that violence is an option," he added. MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Darryl David had raised the issue in Parliament in September 2024 after a spate of rioting cases involving young people aged below 21 and deadly weapons. Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said in a written reply that there was an average of 10 cases of rioting with deadly weapons every year between 2019 and 2023. Slightly more than half involved offenders below 21 years of age. Speaking with ST, Mr David said young people may be influenced by violent content they are watching on social media. "When they have all this unfiltered content coming through without proper guidance, it could lead to acts of violence in real life. "(The acts of violence) might also be due to the lack of adequate social and familial structures, and inability to manage anger, frustration and unhappiness," he said. Mr Narasimman said young people lack emotional regulation because their brains are not fully developed. "Their executive functioning skills (at that age) might be poor, so they tend to act based on their emotions. Impulsivity is a huge trait among young people who use weapons. "They don't know what to do when they feel threatened, and their need to fight back is strong, so they resort to using weapons," he said, adding that childhood trauma and negative influences from friends might also contribute to their violent tendencies. Mr David said educators and counsellors can help young people navigate the plethora of information available to them. "As an educator, I believe that we've never had a generation exposed to so much information, with so little maturity. "It's a very dangerous combination," said Mr David, who was formerly deputy director of Temasek Polytechnic's School of Design. He said more can be done to show young people that there are other avenues to share their fears and anxieties. "With youth, we need to help them learn how to deal with fear and anxiety, and prevent these emotions from manifesting in acts of violence. We can teach them to manage their feelings, and find healthy channels for release," he said. When counselling at-risk youth, Mr Narasimman focuses on understanding their backgrounds and teaching them how to regulate their emotions. These include equipping them with coping skills such as breathing exercises or clenching their fists to help them calm down in moments of anger. As incidents of violence most commonly involve males, part of Mr Narasimman's work involves reshaping these young people's narratives of what it means to be a man. He added: "Many of them have been told not to cry, because boys must be harder and stronger. "But when these youth are not in touch with their emotions, they bottle it up, and it may eventually burst."
The Star
23-06-2025
- The Star
Young people in Singapore carrying weapons as ‘fashion accessory': Counsellor
SINGAPORE: Young people may be carrying weapons in public as a 'fashion accessory', and brandishing them during heated arguments, a counsellor who works with at-risk youth flagged. Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, co-founder of the charity Impart, said he has seen an increasing number of young people carrying weapons as accessories in the last 10 years. 'Some of these weapons look quite nice, so (young people) buy them and carry them around to show off,' he said. Narasimman, who said some of the weapons can be found on sale on platforms like Carousell, Telegram and Facebook, added that they would be used when these young people get into confrontations with others. His comments come in the wake of a spate of incidents over the last year that saw young people linked to violent crimes. In March, a 16-year-old was convicted of rioting with a deadly weapon after he brandished a flick knife at another teen during a group attack, which involved five others aged 13 to 17. The teen, who has yet to be sentenced, had asked the victim if he wanted to 'try the knife'. In September 2024, a 22-year-old man was charged with murder after a brawl in Kitchener Road. Three other men and two women were charged with rioting with a deadly weapon over the same incident. In June 2024, a 19-year-old was charged with voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. He had allegedly slashed a 20-year-old man with a chopper during a fight in Sembawang. Amalraj Thevar Manivannan, 27, is a friend of Dhinessh Vasie, who died in the Kitchener Road brawl. 'He was so young and there was so much ahead for him,' said Amalraj of the 25-year-old victim. A father of a three-month-old girl, Amalraj said he is concerned that young people may be carrying weapons in public. 'My worry is when my daughter starts going to school. Will there be enough advocacy against violence and use of such weapons, or will things be worse?' he said. Official figures from 2019 to 2023 show that the number of offenders aged 10 to below 21 involved in offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act had climbed from 92 to 133. Offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act involved mainly youth who were seen with offensive weapons such as knives. The Straits Times checked and found weapons like karambit knives sold on online platforms like Carousell and Shopee, many with intricate designs and videos demonstrating how they could be used. The karambit knife is a scheduled weapon. Possession of a scheduled weapon – which includes flick knives, gravity knives and knuckle dusters – without lawful authority can result in a jail term of up to five years, with a minimum of six strokes of the cane for a first conviction. Narasimman said the use of weapons in the gaming world can play a part in influencing a young person to carry a weapon in real life. 'It becomes a thing for them to have a weapon, because in the game, a weapon increases the chance of them winning the fight. It conditions them to think that violence is an option,' he added. MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Darryl David had raised the issue in Parliament in September 2024 after a spate of rioting cases involving young people aged below 21 and deadly weapons. Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said in a written reply that there was an average of 10 cases of rioting with deadly weapons every year between 2019 and 2023. Slightly more than half involved offenders below 21 years of age. Speaking with ST, David said young people may be influenced by violent content they are watching on social media. 'When they have all this unfiltered content coming through without proper guidance, it could lead to acts of violence in real life. '(The acts of violence) might also be due to the lack of adequate social and familial structures, and inability to manage anger, frustration and unhappiness,' he said. Narasimman said young people lack emotional regulation because their brains are not fully developed. 'Their executive functioning skills (at that age) might be poor, so they tend to act based on their emotions. Impulsivity is a huge trait among young people who use weapons. 'They don't know what to do when they feel threatened, and their need to fight back is strong, so they resort to using weapons,' he said, adding that childhood trauma and negative influences from friends might also contribute to their violent tendencies. David said educators and counsellors can help young people navigate the plethora of information available to them. 'As an educator, I believe that we've never had a generation exposed to so much information, with so little maturity. 'It's a very dangerous combination,' said David, who was formerly deputy director of Temasek Polytechnic's School of Design. He said more can be done to show young people that there are other avenues to share their fears and anxieties. 'With youth, we need to help them learn how to deal with fear and anxiety, and prevent these emotions from manifesting in acts of violence. We can teach them to manage their feelings, and find healthy channels for release,' he said. When counselling at-risk youth, Narasimman focuses on understanding their backgrounds and teaching them how to regulate their emotions. These include equipping them with coping skills such as breathing exercises or clenching their fists to help them calm down in moments of anger. As incidents of violence most commonly involve males, part of Narasimman's work involves reshaping these young people's narratives of what it means to be a man. He added: 'Many of them have been told not to cry, because boys must be harder and stronger. 'But when these youth are not in touch with their emotions, they bottle it up, and it may eventually burst.' - The Straits Times/ANN
AsiaOne
23-06-2025
- AsiaOne
Young people in Singapore carrying weapons as 'fashion accessory': Counsellor, Singapore News
SINGAPORE - Young people may be carrying weapons in public as a 'fashion accessory', and brandishing them during heated arguments, a counsellor who works with at-risk youth flagged. Mr Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, co-founder of the charity Impart, said he has seen an increasing number of young people carrying weapons as accessories in the last 10 years. 'Some of these weapons look quite nice, so (young people) buy them and carry them around to show off,' he said. Mr Narasimman, who said some of the weapons can be found on sale on platforms like Carousell, Telegram and Facebook, added that they would be used when these young people get into confrontations with others. His comments come in the wake of a spate of incidents over the last year that saw young people linked to violent crimes. In March, a 16-year-old was convicted of rioting with a deadly weapon after he brandished a flick knife at another teen during a group attack, which involved five others aged 13 to 17. The teen, who has yet to be sentenced, had asked the victim if he wanted to 'try the knife'. In September 2024, a 22-year-old man was charged with murder after a brawl in Kitchener Road. Three other men and two women were charged with rioting with a deadly weapon over the same incident. In June 2024, a 19-year-old was charged with voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. He had allegedly slashed a 20-year-old man with a chopper during a fight in Sembawang. Mr Amalraj Thevar Manivannan, 27, is a friend of Mr Dhinessh Vasie, who died in the Kitchener Road brawl. 'He was so young and there was so much ahead for him,' said Mr Amalraj of the 25-year-old victim. A father of a three-month-old girl, Mr Amalraj said he is concerned that young people may be carrying weapons in public. 'My worry is when my daughter starts going to school. Will there be enough advocacy against violence and use of such weapons, or will things be worse?' he said. Official figures from 2019 to 2023 show that the number of offenders aged 10 to below 21 involved in offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act had climbed from 92 to 133. Offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act involved mainly youth who were seen with offensive weapons such as knives. The Straits Times checked and found weapons like karambit knives sold on online platforms like Carousell and Shopee, many with intricate designs and videos demonstrating how they could be used. The karambit knife is a scheduled weapon. Possession of a scheduled weapon – which includes flick knives, gravity knives and knuckle dusters – without lawful authority can result in a jail term of up to five years, with a minimum of six strokes of the cane for a first conviction. Mr Narasimman said the use of weapons in the gaming world can play a part in influencing a young person to carry a weapon in real life. 'It becomes a thing for them to have a weapon, because in the game, a weapon increases the chance of them winning the fight. It conditions them to think that violence is an option,' he added. MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Darryl David had raised the issue in Parliament in September 2024 after a spate of rioting cases involving young people aged below 21 and deadly weapons. Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said in a written reply that there was an average of 10 cases of rioting with deadly weapons every year between 2019 and 2023. Slightly more than half involved offenders below 21 years of age. Speaking with ST, Mr David said young people may be influenced by violent content they are watching on social media. 'When they have all this unfiltered content coming through without proper guidance, it could lead to acts of violence in real life. '(The acts of violence) might also be due to the lack of adequate social and familial structures, and inability to manage anger, frustration and unhappiness,' he said. Mr Narasimman said young people lack emotional regulation because their brains are not fully developed. 'Their executive functioning skills (at that age) might be poor, so they tend to act based on their emotions. Impulsivity is a huge trait among young people who use weapons. 'They don't know what to do when they feel threatened, and their need to fight back is strong, so they resort to using weapons,' he said, adding that childhood trauma and negative influences from friends might also contribute to their violent tendencies. Mr David said educators and counsellors can help young people navigate the plethora of information available to them. 'As an educator, I believe that we've never had a generation exposed to so much information, with so little maturity. 'It's a very dangerous combination,' said Mr David, who was formerly deputy director of Temasek Polytechnic's School of Design. He said more can be done to show young people that there are other avenues to share their fears and anxieties. 'With youth, we need to help them learn how to deal with fear and anxiety, and prevent these emotions from manifesting in acts of violence. We can teach them to manage their feelings, and find healthy channels for release,' he said. When counselling at-risk youth, Mr Narasimman focuses on understanding their backgrounds and teaching them how to regulate their emotions. These include equipping them with coping skills such as breathing exercises or clenching their fists to help them calm down in moments of anger. As incidents of violence most commonly involve males, part of Mr Narasimman's work involves reshaping these young people's narratives of what it means to be a man. He added: 'Many of them have been told not to cry, because boys must be harder and stronger. 'But when these youth are not in touch with their emotions, they bottle it up, and it may eventually burst.' This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
