Pune Police Warns Parents : Watch out for emojis used on social media by drug peddlers
By: Pune Police
June 26, 2023
Pune: On the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, the Pune Police released a list of emojis alerting the citizens that how different kinds of emojis are used to pass on messages about drugs for drug smuggling, peddling and much more.
Speaking to Pune Pulse, Vinayak Gaikwad, Police Inspector, Anti Narcotics Cell of Pune Police said, “During different investigations, we have discovered several communications on the phones of the sellers and customers in which specific emojis indicated the supply and demand for the drugs. The supplier, the peddlers, and the customers, particularly the younger ones, communicate using emojis. Hence, we urge parents to be on the lookout for such communications on the phones of their children as officers from all over the world have been able to observe the use of emojis as codes between users and suppliers.”
As per information from the official Twitter handle of Pune City Police, the emojis used to address different kinds of drugs are:
Ganja
Cocaine
MDMA
Mushrooms
Meth
Xanax
Heroin
A total of 82 Drug Dealers have been arrested in the last 6 months and drugs worth Rs. 7.28 crore have been seized so far. Pune Police has appealed to citizens to stay away from drugs and if someone is trying to send any message or communication about drugs or uses emojis, be vigilant and kindly contact the nearest police station.
