2 days ago
Heroin haul up, stokes HIV outbreak fear
Kochi: After MDMA, heroin smuggling is rapidly increasing, with nearly Rs 1 crore worth of the drug being seized last week in Ernakulam. With the possibility of many heroin users sharing syringes, the threat of a full-blown HIV outbreak looms large.
Mubarak Hussain, 25, a native of Nagaon in Assam, was arrested with 45 grams of heroin worth Rs 14.2 lakh from Perumbavoor on Tuesday. Excise sleuths in Aluva seized 158 grams of heroin worth Rs 50 lakh from Assam-native Hussain Sahirul Islam on Monday. On August 10, two Assam natives were arrested with Rs 30 lakh worth of heroin in Perumbavoor.
Since the drug can be easily concealed, most accused smuggle it by train from Assam, hiding it in plastic soap boxes.
They can procure a single box from there for nearly Rs 80,000, repack into tiny bottles and sell them for Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 each. Police sources said the accused likely made multiple successful smuggling bids before being caught.
M F Suresh, assistant excise commissioner, Ernakulam, said although many peddlers have become extra cautious, anticipating intensified checks ahead of Onam season, enforcement sleuths have been able to foil drug smuggling bids.
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"Both excise and police will increase the raids and inspections ahead of Onam season. These peddlers are smart and they are being more careful. We are putting in much greater effort and so are yielding results. Surveillance is very active during Onam season," said Suresh.
A police officer said heroin was mostly used among migrant labourers as it was popular in their home states too. However, there are instances of Keralites also purchasing it from them.
Group use of injectable drugs is a powder keg for a larger crisis as it can trigger HIV outbreaks, say experts.
Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) joint director Reshmi Madhavan said while drug abusers can contract HIV by sharing needles, another possibility is drug-addled sex, which is highly likely to be unprotected.
"Sharing needles carries a grave risk, as one infected user can put an entire group in danger.
But the threat is not limited to injections —drug abusers are also vulnerable to HIV through unprotected sex, often without being aware of it. In many cases, infection occurs through unprotected sexual activity, including homosexual encounters, under the influence of drugs," said Madhavan.
KSACS is actively engaged in campaigns and screening migrant workers, she said. Dedicated Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) centres are active to gradually turn the users away from injectable drugs and then to deaddiction and rehabilitation, she added.
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