​Illegal schemes in India offer "rave packages" with MDMA and hashish

Recent arrests made in the port city of Kochi, India revealed a collective of drug smugglers who turned their scheme into “passenger transport and package tour operations” offering drugs and accommodations, according to local publication The Hindu.

A spokesperson from the city police said officers recently arrested two people in possession of MDMA and hashish, who told of how they organized illegal “rave trips for youngsters” to popular hotspots like Bengaluru, Goa and Coimbatore.

“The duo recently sent a group of students from a private law college on the city outskirts to Goa for 25,000 rupees per head. Each tourist was entitled to two grams of MDMA, five grams of hashish, three packets of ganja, besides entry tickets to a rave party, accommodation facilities, and return tickets.”

In a separate incident, local police shared they also recently arrest five men who attended a “rave party” in Goa. Apparently they were also returning from a trip that was organized by an illegal drug racket similar to the previous incident.

Earlier this month Goa announced a ban on late-night dance parties and police have been directed to crack down on rave parties.

Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Follow him on Twitter here