A file photo of ₹42 lakh worth MDMA seized by Bantwal Rural police recently after arresting two drug peddlers
With schools and colleges set to reopen next month, the Mangaluru city police have conducted random checks of students and other suspected drug consumers to check the extent of consumption of narcotic drugs.Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said around 400-odd tests were done in the last few days and 13% of them were found positive for consumption of narcotic drugs. “The results are encouraging. It indicates that drug peddlers have cut down on the sale of narcotic drugs in the city,” Mr. Reddy told The Hindu.The police will continue the drive to catch peddlers, through the consumers. The action taken on sale and consumption of drugs at the police station level will continue to be reviewed by the him on a weekly basis, the Commissioner said.Following directions by the Home Minister, the Mangaluru city police and the Dakshina Kannada district police have been working jointly to curb sale and consumption of drugs. “It is difficult to make the region free from drug sale and consumption. We are using law against peddlers and consumers to deter them,” Mr. Reddy said. The consumers are undergoing drug de-addiction sessions, he added.During the 2025-26 academic year, the city police randomly visited colleges and conducted drug consumption tests. Of the 5,000-odd tests done, only 12% were found positive. The city police, on December 31, randomly carried out around 400 tests at different parties and found about 13% positive for consumption, he said.Students, parents and institutions have been reporting about drug consumption and sales to the Mangaluru police using the QR-code-based anonymous reporting portal, which was launched in June 2025. Published - May 26, 2026 07:36 pm IST
