KOCHI: In a major drug haul in the city, two youths - one posing himself as a business partner of a laundry firm and the other a private firm employee - were nabbed with 12.5 kg of ganja on Sunday. The street price of the contraband would amount to Rs 15 lakh approximately.
Kochi City Police and the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF), a team formed under the city police to keep narcotics smuggling and abuse under check, tracked down the men after an exhaustive search operation launched in and around Palarivattom.
The duo, Sreekuttan, 26, of Palarivattom and his aide Ajith Anil, 21, of Tiruvalla were operating the business in the city using their links with the drug mafia in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and under the cover of their jobs in private firms for the past several months. The men used to give police a tough time as they would escape on their super motorbikes through narrow roads,” the police said.
Modus operandi
The ganja was smuggled in from Andhra Pradesh via train to Kochi.
“They sell one kilo of ganja, which they procure for Rs 600 from other states, for more than Rs 1 lakh in Kerala. The deal would be struck over the phone and the stuff would be handed over to customers in secret locations,” police said.
Sreekuttan got into peddling during his stay in Goa for work for a couple of months. He had then established links with the drug mafia using which he transported ganja to Kerala.
“Sreekuttan operated his business under the cover of his position as the manager of a private company at Palarivattom to dispel suspicion. However, two weeks ago he left the job and got acquainted with the owner of a laundry shop in Anchumana and he was working there in the guise of a partner. He continued the ganja business along with this,” police said.
Drug-Free Kochi
“If people come across any incident of drug peddling, do contact 9497980430. The details of the informer will be kept confidential,” said DCP G Poonguzhali.