In a high-profile raid linked to Kerala’s deepening drug crisis, popular Malayalam rapper Vedan was arrested on April 28 along with eight others and ganja seized from his rented apartment.

The incident comes close on the heels of the arrest of renowned Malayalam directors Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza on April 27.

Rahman is known for his movies like Thallumala, Anuraga Karikkin Vellam and Unda, while Hamza got acclaim for Bheemante Vazhi. He was the co-writer of 2022 movie Thallumaala. The officials also confiscated 1.63 gram of hybrid cannabis.

It is not the first time that the Malayalam film industry has been rocked by allegations of drug abuse.

In April, actor Shine Tom Chacko hit the headlines when he was caught on CCTV trying to flee from a hotel in Kochi during a narcotics raid. The actor was later arrested in connection with a drug case.

The 41-year-old actor starred in the fantasy comedy film Ithihasa, the highest-grossing Malayalam film in 2014.

The arrest of the actors and directors is a testament of Kerala’s drug problem which has hit a disturbing scale. According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Kerala recorded nearly 28,000 drug-related cases, more than three times that of Punjab, which was once considered the drug capital.

The delivery of drugs in urban centres in Kerala has taken alarming new forms, superbikes dropping packets within 15 minutes, and synthetic drugs like MDMA sold in disguised forms such as candies, biscuits, and even lip gloss. With packets containing 8-12 doses selling for as little as Rs 1,500, school and college students are becoming regular users.

Police suspect rising unemployment, mounting frustration, and the exodus of peers to the Gulf and Canada are fuelling substance abuse among Kerala’s youth.

The state government has ramped up its response with a multi-pronged strategy: launching public seminars, reward-based tip-off schemes, and awareness campaigns. A 40-member think tank, comprising senior officials, bureaucrats, experts, and film personalities, has been formed to tackle the crisis holistically.

Kerala has launched Operation Clean Slate, a state-led crackdown targeting narcotics in elite social circles.

The Kerala Police have also partnered with private companies to curb workplace drug use. A new protocol, modelled after the POSH Act, mandates hair and blood tests, with companies agreeing to terminate employees who test positive.

As one arrest after another shakes Kerala’s cultural landscape, the urgency to confront the state’s drug menace grows louder. Once a whisper behind the scenes, drug use has now forced its way into the public eye, demanding immediate and uncompromising reform.