Mumbai: In a constant crackdown on drugs in Mumbai, the Anti Narcotic Cell (ANC) police have waged a war against the drug lords and been carrying out raids to weed out contrabands being sold to collegians and youngsters. It was revealed that drugs abuse among college-goers has grown immensely, which has peaked the sale of 'purple ecstasy' tablets outside colleges and shopping malls. During one such raid, a 25-year-old youth, Utkarsh Patange, a Malad resident, was arrested outside Inorbit Mall in Malad (W) by Kandivli unit of ANC.
Police seized over 97 purple ecstasy tablets worth Rs4.85 lakh. He was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Meanwhile, police are trying to get details of other suppliers in the drug chain who are selling the purple ecstasy tablets to youngsters and continue a crackdown on the drug dens. The purple ecstasy tablets, also known as Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), is a psychoactive drug, which is primarily used as a recreational drug, leading to altered sensation.
Police said that since it is compact and colourful, it could easily be passed off as a chocolate due to its appearance. These purple ecstasy tablets, however, are highly addictive and harmful, said an official. To make it look more attractive, they are embossed with popular high-end brand tags.
Following the seizure of 97 purple ecstasy tablets, ANC has hence requested parents, students and teachers to be on vigil and ensure their wards don’t fall prey to such drugs. Subsequently, in a bid to put a stop on the drug trade, police have been keeping an eye on the back roads of colleges, malls, which are usually used as meeting point for drug traders and buyers.
