Poor surveillance of abandoned government and private buildings within city limits has come as a boon for many drug peddlers in Kozhikode.
Late-night meetups for selling smuggled drugs are now common at these buildings, taking advantage of local residents’ reluctance to enter such premises out of fear.
Buildings near Kozhikode and Vellayil railway stations now top the list where some of the rough sleepers are also reportedly helping drug peddlers for a quick buck and drugs. Miscreants have also started using a number of deserted buildings along the Kozhikode beach road.
“Police patrol is there in such locations but illegal entrants are cunning enough to evade such checks,” said an official with the Railways here.
He said the demolition or renovation of such buildings and proper security measures were the practical solutions for the problem.
Despite frequent complaints from commuters and traders, murky corners of the Palayam bus stand and some of the old buildings near Puthiyara are also continuing to be safe havens for drug addicts.
Some of the suspected drug peddlers in the urban area have moved to wetland fields in the suburbs, posing a challenge for enforcement squads.
Many local residents’ associations have put up cautionary boards against such gangs. Surveillance cameras have also been installed along some of the village roads to monitor vehicles and persons.
A police officer from Elathur station said there were many occasions when the police team carried out aerial inspection using drone cameras for tracking such gangs near a wetland area at Puthiyangadi. He said some of the local residents were seemingly reluctant to disclose information on such gangs fearing retaliatory action.