Minors Used As Drug Couriers To Evade Police, Families Pushing Children In Narcotics Trade Across Bhopal
· Free Press Journal
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Drug and marijuana traffickers are increasingly using minors as peddlers to avoid police suspicion, with investigators finding that some families are themselves pushing children into the illegal trade.
Police investigations have revealed that both boys and girls are being used to sell narcotics, while several families involved in drug trafficking are grooming their children to continue what they describe as a "family business."
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Recent crackdowns by the Crime Branch and local police stations have exposed the disturbing trend. In one of the latest cases, Crime Branch apprehended a 17-year-old girl from Tila Jamalpura with MD drugs. During questioning, police found that her entire family was allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Her mother used to sent her for delivering the contraband to the clients.
In another case, Crime Branch busted a marijuana racket operating near Bhopal Railway Station. The network was allegedly run by a mother and her son, Rahul Sauda. While the woman escaped, Rahul and two minor boys were arrested. Rahul admitted that minors were deliberately used for marijuana peddling to avoid police attention.
As part of the state's anti-drug campaign Nashe Se Doori Hai Zaroori , Chhola Mandir police also caught a minor selling marijuana. Similarly, Gautam Nagar police apprehended another juvenile who told investigators that a couple had hired him on commission to sell marijuana.
Police officials said several drug-trafficking families are involving their own children in the trade for financial gain, while organised gangs are targeting children from economically weaker backgrounds by luring them with easy money.
Additional DCP (Crime) Shailendra Singh Chauhan said police are identifying more such rackets. Besides action under the NDPS Act, those exploiting minors are also being booked under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Trend on the Rise
Police data indicates that the involvement of minors in drug peddling has risen sharply over the past three years. Crime Branch records show that no minors were caught in drug-peddling cases between 2021 and 2023, although 13 women were arrested during the period. However, from 2024 to 2026, six minors and 44 women have been apprehended in drug-peddling cases.
This year Crime Branch and local police have arrested 5 minors for drug peddling in total.
Police Records
Minors women
2024: 2 20
2025 1 10
2026 3 14
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