KOCHI: Excise sleuths who arrested a person with cocaine, LSD stamps and ganja from an apartment rented out by a leading Malayalam actor in Kochi on March 21 started a detailed investigation to find out the persons from whom he procured the drugs. They suspect that the arrested person named Nujum Salimkutty, 33, a native of Punalur who has been living at the apartment of the actor at Thevara, had been procuring drugs from some main peddlers in the state.
Last week, the excise team raided the apartment. In the search, the sleuths recovered 6.92 grams of cocaine, 47.2 milligrams of LSD and 148 grams of ganja. However, the officers ruled out that Nujum could be involved in drug peddling.
“He is from a rich family. He completed his studies in the USA and came to Kochi this year for starting a business. He was paying Rs 85,000 in rent per month for the apartment. The actor who owns the apartment has no involvement in the case. Nujum’s parents have been in a West Asian country for years. He admitted that he started using drugs while studying in the USA,” an official said.
The excise received a tip-off about Nujum following the arrest of one Fazalu, a native of Kozhikode. Fazalu was arrested after the excise seized a parcel containing LSD stamps intercepted at the Foreign Post Office in Kochi.
4 cases registered
The excise has registered four cases in connection with the smuggling of drugs using courier parcels in Kochi. Fazalu is currently in the custody of the Kozhikode unit of excise.