Mangaluru: Police will intensify operations against drug peddlers and continue the drive until the last peddler is arrested, said police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH.Speaking at a meeting of representatives from various educational institutions held at the Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall on Tuesday, the commissioner said the police department was carrying out sustained operations to dismantle drug distribution networks. He said recent drug tests conducted among students did not yield any positive cases, expressing confidence that the Nasha Mukt Mangaluru (Drug-Free Mangaluru) campaign would be successful. Commissioner Reddy directed that anti-drug committees be activated in all colleges. Suspicious students who may have fallen under the influence of drugs should be identified and brought back to the mainstream through counselling. The police department, he said, would extend all necessary support in this effort.Calling upon educational institutions to join hands in keeping campuses free from substance abuse, he said police officers would make periodic visits to colleges as part of the campaign. Students affected by drug abuse would be treated as victims, while strict and uncompromising action would be taken against drug peddlers, he warned.Addressing concerns that drug abuse was widespread in Mangaluru, the Commissioner cited data showing that 5,356 drug tests were conducted across various colleges between June 1, 2025, and Jan 17 this year, of which only 14 cases tested positive. This, he said, indicated a decline in drug-related activities in the district.Police NOC for PG AccommodationReferring to the increasing number of students residing in paying guest (PG) accommodation in the city, the city police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, said the department would examine the possibility of making it mandatory for PG establishments to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the police before being granted a licence.
