KOCHI: The excise crime branch probing the seizure of a large quantity of Methamphetamine, also known as Meth, from a gang which travelled with dogs to procure and sell drugs will be filing a chargesheet in the court next week. The excise investigation team will be filing the chargesheet against 21 persons.
The case is related to the seizure of nearly 1.2kg of Meth from a serviced apartment at Vazhakala used by six including two women. In the initial search, around 80 grams of Meth was recovered from five persons.
In a later search, another 1.1kg of Meth with a total value of Rs 13 crore in the international market was recovered.
The gang used to take Rottweiler and Doberman dogs in a car to procure drugs from Chennai and Puducherry.
The agency has arrested 19 persons in the case including those who provided financial assistance to procure the drugs.
“The investigation in the case related to the seizure of 80 grams of Meth has been completed. We are preparing the chargesheet and it will most likely be filed in the court next week,” an officer said.
“The chargesheet in the second case related to the seizure of 1.1kg of Meth would be filed later. All pieces of evidence have been collected and forensic analysis reports have to be received,” he added.
Meanwhile, the excise crime branch has issued a lookout notice against Kozhikode natives Hilal and Sharukh Sahal. The duo escaped to the UAE after they were interrogated by the sleuths in September this year. “Both will be nabbed on their return to India. We are also looking to get these persons deported from the UAE,” an excise official said.
The probe revealed that a Keralite based in Sri Lanka was the kingpin supplying Meth to India. He would be made accused in the second case.
Similarly, the gang has procured 2kg of Meth from Puducherry and Chennai, of which they sold 800 grams to various persons in Kochi.