Chennai, April 10 Chennai Police Commissioner A. Arun has initiated action to suspend or ban Grindr, a popular dating and social networking app for the LGBTQ+ community, after a probe revealed its alleged use as a communication channel in synthetic drug trafficking cases.
The Commissioner has written to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the country’s nodal agency for cybersecurity incidents, requesting regulatory intervention against the global platform.
“In five out of ten recent drug cases, Grindr was found to be the medium through which traffickers communicated with clients,” a senior police officer stated.
Joint Commissioner of Police (East) P. Vijayakumar emphasised the Greater Chennai Police’s commitment to eradicating narcotics, particularly synthetic drugs.
He noted that the Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU), formed in August 2024, has made significant progress in this direction.
According to official data, Chennai Police have seized 21.9 kg of methamphetamine in the last eight months. Two major drug busts in the Anna Salai and Triplicane areas recently led to the arrest of eight foreign nationals - seven Nigerian citizens and one Sudanese national - suspected to be part of an international drug ring.
“Most of the synthetic drugs circulating in the city are being sourced from other states,” said the JCP.
Follow-up investigations in Bengaluru and other locations helped police apprehend the foreign nationals connected to the Chennai operations. So far, 17 individuals have been arrested in the two cases - seven from Tamil Nadu, with the rest being from other Indian states and foreign countries.
Seizures from the operations include 36.5 grams of methamphetamine, two grams of heroin, 5.3 grams of OG (high-grade) ganja, and other narcotics.
Police are also coordinating with immigration and intelligence agencies to investigate potential visa violations by the foreign nationals.
“We will be recommending further action if these individuals are found guilty of overstaying or misusing their visas,” an officer added.
Authorities are seeking custody of the arrested suspects for further interrogation. Investigators hope to identify the supply chains, storage locations, and other individuals involved in the drug network.
Preliminary findings suggest that some of the narcotics originated from Myanmar, while several suspects claimed their suppliers were based in Nigeria.
The arrested foreign nationals have been identified as Christopher Oluchukwa, Samir Salah Nouraldeen, Etim Antigha, Effiong Etim, Sheu Adeleke, Chigemezel Nwune, Ogoegbunem, and Benard Oknkwo Juel.
As investigations continue, the Greater Chennai Police are intensifying their crackdown on synthetic drugs and are exploring digital and international avenues used by traffickers to target local users.
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