Overview
- The operation, which launched on June 1, produced heavy early activity with authorities and media reporting hundreds of cases and arrests in the opening days and some accounts saying figures rose into the thousands over the first 72 hours.
- Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala framed Toofan as a mission‑mode campaign that combines police raids with coordinated work by the Health, Excise and Education departments and a school outreach scheme called ‘Toofan Warriors’.
- Officials say the drive focuses on network disruption rather than only arresting users, with plans for interstate cooperation and cooperation with central agencies as investigators pursue digital evidence and financial links.
- The shift in Kerala’s drug scene toward synthetic substances is a key driver for the push: police data show NDPS cases rose from 27,530 in 2024 to 36,314 in 2025 and past coverage cites large MDMA and methamphetamine seizures, including a reported 1.2 kg MDMA haul last year.
- Beyond immediate arrests and seizures, success will depend on sustained interagency action, stronger cyber and financial investigations, and parallel health and rehabilitation services to reduce youth recruitment and harms in schools and communities.