The Kozhikode City and Rural police have stepped up surveillance of accommodations housing migrant workers across the district as part of Operation Toofan, a special campaign aimed at curbing drug trafficking and related criminal activities.As part of the intensified monitoring, landlords who have rented out private accommodations to migrant workers will be required to produce valid rental agreements during surprise inspections. The agreements should have complete details of the occupants, police sources said.According to officials, investigations have revealed that a section of migrant workers may be acting as intermediaries for inter-State drug trafficking networks. The police suspect that some workers, especially in the construction sector, are involved in facilitating drug distribution.According to sources, several individuals, including a few women workers, are under surveillance, especially in the rural areas of the district. The authorities are monitoring their activities and possible links with drug trafficking syndicates.The police have also sought the support of local self-government institutions to strengthen vigilance. Panchayat representatives have been asked to keep watch on suspicious accommodations and report unusual activities. In a few areas, local body representatives are coordinating with the police to conduct surprise inspections.Officials are scrutinising the call records of certain suspects who were reportedly in contact with individuals arrested in connection with inter-State drug trafficking cases earlier. The exercise is intended to identify wider networks and identify possible links between local operators and organised drug rackets.A senior police officer pointed out that there had been instances in the past where migrant workers with criminal backgrounds secured rented accommodations and continued illicit activities under the guise of regular employment. Several such cases came to light following coordinated operations by enforcement agencies from various States, he said.The ongoing surveillance, according to anti-narcotics squad members, has also been extended to coastal regions. Coastal vigilance committees and harbour development committees are expected to assist the police in monitoring suspicious movements and activities. The Coastal police, Government Railway Police, and Railway Protection Force have also joined intensified tracking and verification efforts.A member of the Harbour Development Committee at Beypore said although several migrant workers employed in the fisheries sector had returned to their native places ahead of the annual trawling ban, a few had remained behind. Some of them were suspected of maintaining contacts with associates in their home States and coordinating local drug-related activities, he said, adding that a list of such suspects would be shared with the police.Officials also hinted that verification of identity documents was a key part of the ongoing inspections. Cases of forged identity documents have been reported from some locations, demanding detailed scrutiny. The police are considering mandatory biometric identification measures to strengthen security and improve monitoring mechanisms. Published - June 11, 2026 08:31 pm IST