Drug trafficking has become a major concern in the western suburb of Andheri, where 317 cases have been reported since 2023, the highest across Mumbai.
Up to 369 people have been arrested in Andheri in drug-trafficking cases over the past two years, and authorities have seized 154.981 kg of narcotic substances, the
Maharashtra government revealed in the state assembly on March 4 in response to enquiries from 31 lawmakers and MLA Ameet Satam of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Meanwhile, with 146 instances, the Malvani neighbourhood in
Malad West recorded the second-most number of cases in the city. As a result, 157 people have been arrested and 126.536 kg of drugs have been seized. Kurla had 383.458 kg of drugs confiscated.
Satam, who has led the charge to draw attention to drug trafficking, emphasised the pervasiveness of drug cartels in Andheri West, his district, particularly in neighbourhoods like Gilbert Hill and Juhu Gully.
The state government supplied comprehensive data illustrating the scope of drug trafficking and abuse in the area. In Maharashtra alone, 15,873 drug misuse instances were reported in 2024, and 14,230 persons were taken into custody. In addition, 3,627 people have been arrested in 2,738 cases involving the possession and transportation of drugs, and a whopping 900 crore worth of drugs have been recovered.
Satam claimed that the concerning patterns he had noticed in the illegal drug trade in several towns around the state, especially Mumbai and its suburbs, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Kolhapur, were the reason he brought up the issues in the parliament. He underlined the pervasiveness of drugs including ganja, gutkha, and charas in Mumbai's Andheri, Malvani, Malad, Mumbra, Chandivali, Ghatkopar, Dahisar, Govandi, Mahim, Bhiwandi, and Kurla areas.
Despite several allegations of drug selling, the elected officials had drawn attention to the apparent indifference of the local government. They also emphasised the grave health hazards that these substances' widespread selling poses, especially in crowded public areas like marketplaces, schools, hospitals, and transportation centres.
According to its response before the state assembly, the Maharashtra administration has prioritised both enforcement and prevention in order to combat the expanding drug trade. All Maharashtra police units now have a specialised anti-narcotics cell, and in August 2023, an anti-narcotics task force was established to improve coordination in the fight against drug trafficking.
The state has instructed post offices and courier services to take preventive action to stop the unlawful shipment of drugs in addition to police operations. Every year, on June 26, World Anti-Drug Day, anti-drug awareness efforts are launched at a more grassroots level.
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