Drug Trafficking Through Parcel Services Under Watch; Coimbatore Police Issue New Guidelines

Coimbatore: In a major initiative aimed at preventing the misuse of courier and parcel networks for criminal activities, the Coimbatore City Police on Monday (19.05.2026) conducted a high-level coordination meeting with managers and representatives of courier, parcel, and travel parcel service companies operating across the city.

The meeting was chaired by Coimbatore City Police Commissioner N. Kannan and attended by the Deputy Commissioners of Police (North and South), along with representatives from 115 courier, parcel, and travel parcel firms.

Addressing the participants, Commissioner N. Kannan expressed concern over the increasing misuse of parcel delivery services for narcotics trafficking, transportation of illegal materials, and cyber-enabled frauds. He urged courier operators to strengthen surveillance and verification mechanisms to prevent delivery networks from being exploited by criminal elements.

The Commissioner instructed all companies to mandatorily install CCTV cameras at parcel collection and storage facilities and preserve footage for a minimum of 30 days. Firms were also directed to maintain proper records of all incoming and outgoing consignments.

Emphasizing strict KYC compliance, police instructed companies to securely collect and maintain identity details of both senders and receivers, including Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, ration cards, and verified mobile numbers. Operators were also asked to verify the authenticity of mobile numbers through direct confirmation calls before delivery.

Courier firms were further advised to remain vigilant against suspicious consignments, fake delivery addresses, invalid phone numbers, and individuals exhibiting unusual behavioral patterns. Police officials noted that narcotics traffickers are increasingly using false addresses and mobile-based parcel pickups to evade detection.

Authorities also raised concerns over emerging smuggling methods, including narcotic substances coated on stamp-like paper materials, and instructed firms to carefully monitor such consignments.

The meeting additionally focused on cyber frauds linked to parcel services, including OTP scams, customs call frauds, fake delivery scams, and parcel-related online frauds. Companies were encouraged to create awareness among customers regarding such scams.

Special surveillance was advised for parcels arriving from states such as Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh. Courier operators were instructed to closely monitor consignments for narcotics, illegal weapons, banned substances, explosives, and unauthorized lottery tickets.

Police also strongly recommended scanner-based inspection of all inward and outward consignments to strengthen security checks.

Further instructions included monitoring parcels received by foreign nationals, migrant workers, and students residing in the city. Background verification of employees, including address proof and previous employment records, was also made mandatory.

Courier firms were directed to maintain digital databases containing details of delivery personnel and parcel vehicles. Additional safety protocols were advised while delivering parcels to residences occupied by women and senior citizens.