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Ramanathapuram District Superintendent of Police G. Chandeesh has been selected for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Police Medal in recognition of his exceptional efforts in combating illegal drug production and trafficking.

The announcement came on Friday, coinciding with International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. It aligned with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s wider anti-drug awareness campaign, which featured a major ‘Start Run, Stop Drugs’ marathon at Chennai’s Marina Beach.

G. Chandeesh, a 2018 batch IPS officer, was posted as Superintendent of Police, Ramanathapuram district, on January 12, 2024. Since assuming office, he has implemented commendable measures for the eradication and prevention of narcotics. By providing legal and scientific guidance to sub-divisional and station-level officers, he has effectively reduced drug-related crimes across the district.

Furthermore, he has organised over 800 awareness programs in schools, colleges, and public spaces to educate the community on the devastating effects of drug abuse. Under his leadership, enforcement actions have intensified, resulting in the registration of 420 drug-related cases and the arrest of 700 individuals since 2024. The operations led to the seizure of approximately 1,600 kg of ganja, 400 grams of methamphetamine, and 25 kg of ganja oil.

Additionally, 20 major ganja peddlers have been detained under the Goondas Act to ensure long-term public safety. Through continuous monitoring of habitual offenders, 50 kg of ganja was seized in Jetty PS jurisdiction and 78 kg in S.P. Pattinam PS jurisdiction under the NDPS Act. Most notably, on December 24, 2025, a major operation in Kenikarai PS limits resulted in the seizure of 542 kg of ganja in Therkuvani Veethi village.

The operation led to the arrest of 12 persons and confiscation of four motorcycles, two cars, and 11 mobile phones in Kenikkarai PS. The seizure stands as the largest single recovery of ganja in Tamil Nadu for 2025.