KOCHI: The three-member gang arrested for smuggling 225kg of ganja from Andhra Pradesh to Perumbavoor procured the narcotic from Paderu village, situated on Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, police said. Paderu had made headlines after it emerged that the region was one of the major ganja producing belts.
Interestingly, middlemen or agents of the drug-supply chain are Malayalis. “The accused hand over vehicles used to ferry drugs on the National Highway and agents of the racket go with the vehicles and return after loading the vehicles with the drugs,” said an officer.
Police received evidence that Anas, key accused in the case, had travelled numerous times to Paderu in the last one-and-a-half years. Faizal, another accused, also accompanied him on most of these journeys. Anas is a history-sheeter and he was involved in several cases of drug smuggling. “We received a tip-off on supply chain of the accused and this helped us nab them,” said district Rural SP K Karthick.
Anas, 41, of Perumbavoor, Faizal, 35, of Okkal, and Varsha, 22, of Shanghumugham were arrested on Monday after a police team intercepted them and recovered 225kg of ganja from their possession at Karukutty near Angamaly. The contraband was found concealed in 133 packets under the seats and in the boot of two cars.