Surat: Surat police, in their drive against the drug menace, have launched a crackdown against traders who exploit legal loopholes to openly sell items linked to substance abuse. As part of this operation, the Special Operation Group (SOG) conducted raids at multiple establishments in the posh Citylight area, including a shop named Little Goa.

Officers were stunned by the Goa-like nightclub ambience inside the outlet, featuring dim lighting and décor that suggested activities beyond the sale of pan masala. During the raid, police seized suspicious tobacco packets with foreign-language labels, several hookahs—including one designed like an AK-47 rifle—digital weighing scales, crushers used for ganja, chalams, flavoured hookah products and banned gogo paper.

All seized items, including hookahs, foreign-brand flavours, weighing equipment and gogo paper, have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to check for narcotic content.

Rajdeep Nakum, Deputy Commissioner of Police (SOG), Surat, said, “Our aim is to expose such people and stop them from selling these products. We will continue this operation relentlessly. Earlier, these items were easily available on online platforms, but that supply has now stopped. This is a collective success of the SOG Surat Police and the media. When we received information that a large number of youths visit this place in the evenings to buy hookahs, our teams were deployed here. Strict legal action will be taken against anyone found violating the law.”

He further added, “During the investigation, we found various types of hookahs, chalams, gogo paper and empty filtered cigarettes. This clearly indicates that these items are being used for intoxicating activities.”

Speaking about the shop owners’ claims, Nakum said, “Initially, they claimed everything was legal. But once they realised the seriousness of the matter, they were warned strictly. If someone cannot allow such things for their own children, they have no right to harm other people’s children. Legal action will be taken against the operators under the Tobacco Act and other applicable laws.”

As part of the broader crackdown, the SOG has also targeted the illegal online and retail sale of banned gogo paper. A warehouse in the Citylight area, allegedly linked to an online platform Blinkit that supplied gogo paper illegally, was searched. Simultaneously, intensive checks conducted across Umra, Athwa, Vesu, Althan, Khatodara and Pandesara led to the arrest of 18 pan parlour vendors involved in illegal retail sales.

Going beyond seizures and arrests, Surat police are also planning to counsel youths indirectly drawn into substance abuse. A list of customers who purchased gogo paper, charcoal paper or drug-related strips over the past year will be prepared, and police will reach out to them for counselling. Investigations are ongoing to trace the entire supply chain, including online platforms and local networks. The sustained operation has triggered panic among those involved in the illegal trade of drugs and drug-consumption kits in the city. DeshGujarat