KOCHI: In a major breakthrough in the investigation into the seizure of 168 grams of MDMA at Kariyad junction in Nedumbassery, the police arrested a Nigerian national, who allegedly supplied the drug to the four youths who were nabbed earlier in the case. Chinedo Eze Remejus, 38, was arrested from his house at Medanahalli, Bengaluru, following days-long operation by a special team of Ernakulam Rural police. He was a major link in the supply of MDMA across the country, the police said.
On November 21 last year, a police team nabbed a four-member gang travelling in a car at Kariyad junction. The gang possessed 168 grams of MDMA in crystal form and 4.6 grams in pills later. The gang was arrested while transporting the drug to Kochi from Bengaluru. The police found the involvement of the Bengaluru racket as one of the arrested was Moses Natarajan, 24, belonging to Banasawadi in the Karnataka capital. A further inquiry into the seizure led to Remejus, who supplied the drug to the gang.
Remejus arrived in India on a medical visa in 2016 and had been staying illegally in Bengaluru even after his visa expired. In the meantime, his wife also arrived in Bengaluru on a student visa. Explaining his modus operandi, the police said he used to hand over the drug after reaching the customers on his motorcycle.
As he wore a helmet, nobody could identify his face. Whenever customers approached him for the drugs, he would change the venue for handing over the contraband several times and finally give it at a spot chosen by him. He adopted this way to hoodwink the authorities, said an officer.
Remejus was arrested in a narcotics case and served a jail term in Bengaluru in 2017. He escaped twice earlier when the team of Ernakulam Rural police reached Bengaluru. He used to change his locations making it difficult for the investigators to trace him.
“A detailed inquiry into his links and money transactions will be carried out. More arrests would happen in this case,” said Ernakulam Rural SP K Karthick. A team led by Aluva DySP P K Sivankutty is heading the investigation.