A total of 684 kg of ganja seized in 465 cases registered at various police stations under the jurisdictions of Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, and the Nilgiris districts was destroyed on Friday.

The contraband was destroyed under the supervision of P. Saminathan, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Coimbatore Range) and chairman of the Drug Disposal Committee, in the presence of members of the committee.

According to the police, the contraband was destroyed in accordance with the orders of the competent court at a Government-authorised private disposal facility located at Chettipalayam near Coimbatore, following all prescribed legal procedures and ensuring that the destruction process caused no adverse impact on the environment.

The Coimbatore District Police conducted a series of awareness and preventive programmes across the district on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which was observed on Friday.

The police stated that a total of 337 anti-drug awareness programmes were organised across the district with the active participation of police stations, educational institutions, government departments, voluntary organisations and the general public as part of the observance.

Awareness programmes, seminars, pledge-taking ceremonies and interactive sessions were conducted in 251 schools and colleges. A total of 23,624 students participated in these programmes, organised under the supervision of Coimbatore District Superintendent of Police A. Pavan Kumar Reddy.

The police also organised 23 anti-drug awareness rallies throughout the district, aimed at sensitising the public to the ill-effects of drug abuse, its legal consequences and its adverse impact on families and society.