Pune: Information about sale of candy flavoured methamphetamine also known as ‘Strawberry Quick’ or ‘Strawberry Pop Rock’ by drug dealers outside city schools has put Pune police on alert.

Officials said they are keeping a close watch outside schools since one-and-half months, but no one has been caught.

“We received information about the strawberry meth in August, after which we kept a close vigil outside schools. Our men have informed school authorities to inform us if they come across any case related to it,” said Sunil Dorge, Police Inspector of Anti-Narcotics Cell of Pune Police Crime Branch.

Dorge said that despite keeping a close vigil they have not come across any case in connection with Strawberry Quick. He said, “There is a possibility that it’s a rumour, but we can’t take chances and have to follow our procedures.”

Schools too on alert
A parent, whose ward studies in an international school, on condition of anonymity, said, “We received messages that there are drug dealers selling crystal meth in the form of strawberries candies in school premises. Many parents received messages related to strawberry pop rock. We have cautioned our kids.”

Veena Havanurkar, Principal of Symbiosis Primary and Secondary School said, “Last year we received a similar message on common groups, in consideration of which I had personally mailed all the parents about the details of the circulated message and to counsel their children to not entertain any stranger. We also suggested they be proactive in monitoring their child’s activities.”

Sumana Mandal, Principal at MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul, Rajbaug said, “This is a residential school. Therefore, we need to be more careful and aware. We had called for parents and students workshop wherein we dealt with all sorts of security measures of students. We had also downloaded the detailed message about students being given drugs packed in strawberry packets and shown it to the parents. Older students were instructed to not buy outside foods without consulting their parents.”