KOCHI: The excise Crime Branch probing the seizure of over 1.1kg of party drug MDMA worth over Rs 12 crore could trace transactions involving around Rs 80 lakh through bank accounts of the arrested persons. The agency has questioned around 15 persons who are suspected of having funded the procurement of the large quantity of MDMA by the accused persons.
In a joint operation on August 19, excise and customs departments busted the gang from a serviced apartment in Vazhakala in Kochi and arrested five persons. In the initial search, around 90 grams of MDMA was recovered. In another search carried out a day after, over a kilogram of MDMA was recovered from the same apartment. Following lapses in the initial investigation, the case was handed over to the excise Crime Branch and the agency arrested two more persons. The gang had travelled in a car with Rottweiler and Doberman dogs to Chennai and returned with drugs.
After taking over the probe, the excise Crime Branch started examining bank transactions knowing well that a huge fund was required for procuring such a large quantity of drugs. “We could trace transactions totalling Rs 80 lakh in their accounts till now. Around Rs 40 lakh was deposited by various persons in the account of main suspect Muhammad Favas on several occasions. The money was withdrawn part by part. Similarly, Rs 35 lakh was deposited in accounts of Favas’ wife Shamna on various occasions which were also withdrawn in different times. A few lakhs of rupees were found in the account of another suspect, Sreemon, as well,” an official said.
According to the Crime Branch, amounts were withdrawn from the accounts a few days before the gang procured the drugs from Chennai. “We have questioned around 15 persons who had financial dealings with the arrested persons. There are more investors who have used other platforms to invest money with the gang for procuring drugs.
“This gang had been active in drug peddling for the past two years. We could trace their links with some infamous drug peddlers in Kerala and neighbouring states. The gang moved to Kochi only in June this year as the demand for MDMA is higher here. Before this, the gang was active in Kozhikode,” the officer said.
An investigation based on mobile phones recovered from the arrested persons could not give major leads on the people who supplied MDMA to the gang in Chennai.
“The contact persons of the gang in Chennai have absconded. Their mobile phone numbers are switched off. We have received details of a few persons linked with the gang in Chennai and attempts are being made to track them down,” the officer said.
In a joint operation on August 19, excise and customs departments busted the gang from a serviced apartment in Vazhakala in Kochi and arrested five persons. In the initial search, around 90 grams of MDMA was recovered