Every year, thousands throng the picturesque Parvati valley in KULLU craving for a "high". What draws them here is a drug from the village of Malana that goes by the curious name of 'Malana cream'.

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The high quality charas is worth lakhs, but youngsters may be smoking their brains out on a cheap substitute. What's being clandestinely served to customers and tourists across the valley as the premium drug from Malana may actually be a third rate mixed cannabis product smuggled from Punjab, UP or Nepal. Recent seizures by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and police indicate that a substantial quantity of drugs around the valley is being passed off as Malana cream by syndicates through couriers.

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The modus operandi used to supply consignments keeps getting more and more innovative. The contraband is stashed in condoms inside empty coconuts, religious books, fruit boxes and even pickle jars to throw sniffer dogs off the trail. Recently, Kullu police recovered a consignment of 3 kg charas from Jari near Kasol in Parvati valley. It was to be sold to consumers as pure Malana cream. Police arrested three labourers from Nepal who brought the consignment from across the border.

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In another instance, police recovered about 6 kg charas from Kasol and arrested two migrant labourers. According to the police, Kasol and areas around Parvati valley have emerged as favoured destinations among youngsters who come here for drugs and rave parties. Demand is at its peak in the months of June and July — the height of the tourist season.

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Besides, charas bought from Nepal and other states is of poor quality. When it is sold as premium Malana cream, the profit margin goes up considerably as Malana cream is almost 15 times costlier. "The cost of charas from Nepal is between Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per kg, whereas charas grown in Malana is sold for anything between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh a kg. There is a huge margin of profit for suppliers and youngsters going to the valley for the cream can hardly make out the difference in quality," said NCB zonal director Kaustubh Sharma, who is based in Chandigarh.

During lean season in orchards, migrant labourers are used as conduits. "In the course of raids conducted in the valley, we have found that the drug mafia is using migrant labourers from Bihar and Nepal as couriers. They are more active when there is no work in the orchards," said Kullu SP Padam Chand. This year, he said, police seized 30 kg more charas than the amount seized till July 15 last year.

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Last year, the NCB seized a consignment of 70 kg charas from the UP-Nepal border. It was meant to be delivered to contacts in Kasol and Tosh in Parvati. Of late, the NCB and Kullu police have managed to break the drug mafia network in the valley, which has been thriving through rave parties. "With the help of the local police, we destroyed more than 400 acres of fields around Parvati valley last year," said Sharma.

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Meanwhile, those associated with such drives emphasize the need for a sustained effort against the drug mafia. "We need a holistic approach. It's strange only Punjab is in the limelight. Almost 40 per cent to 50 per cent of youths in other states are also hooked on to drugs," said OP Sharma, an ex-SP with the NCB who conducted a major crackdown in Malana.