THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Excise squad has seized around 200g of MDMA from different parts of Thiruvananthapuram and arrested four persons allegedly linked to a drug supply network operating in the city.
The arrested are Saurav Santhosh, 22, of Malayinkeezhu, Sanooj, 22, of Vazhayila, Anu, 25, and Renjith, 31, of Naruvamoodu.
The first arrests came on Sunday when excise officials caught Saurav and Sanooj with over 20g of MDMA. Their mobile phones were tracked down and officials nabbed them from Mangattukadavu.
The squad had kept the arrest discreet as they planned to continue the inspection for the next few days. Following a tip off on Monday, Anu and Renjith were taken into custody by evening from Pravachambalam with over 161g of MDMA.
Excise officials said the MDMA had been brought from Bengaluru for sale in Thiruvananthapuram. Saurav and Sanooj used to source narcotics from Anu, whom officials described as one of the major dealers in the city with links to a larger distribution chain in the city. Anu is reportedly involved in 12 criminal cases and is a KAAPA accused. All four of them have been remanded.
Officials said the network functioned through concealed transactions that made tracking difficult. In most cases, account transfers happen and buyers show the payment receipts to the dealers who then direct them to another location where the drugs would be hidden. Excise officers said such methods helped traffickers avoid direct contact and complicated surveillance efforts.
While the mobile phones of Saurav and Sanooj helped trace the network, officials said Anu and Renjith had stopped using phones after allegedly receiving information about the inspection drive. Excise teams searched several suspected hideouts before finally locating the duo following another tip-off.
Officials suspect the accused are part of a wider interstate narcotics network that transports synthetic drugs from Bengaluru to Kerala for distribution. Investigations are continuing to identify others linked to the racket.
Including this, the district has recorded more than 400g of MDMA seizures in just five months.