KOCHI: Excise sleuths on Thursday arrested an online food delivery staffer who peddled drugs and seized one gram of MDMA from his possession near Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium here. Nithin Raveendran, 26, a native of Thumbamada near Kanjirappilly, was arrested following a tip-off received by the friend of a girl who was buying drugs from him. Nithin himself was high when he came to sell drugs, said excise officers who had kept him under watch for weeks and moved in upon getting concrete information about his peddling activities.
They said Nithin used to befriend customers who ordered food online and later supplied them drugs. He lured many youngsters to drugs like MDMA, they said. Explaining Nithin’s modus operandi, an excise officer said Nithin would check the details of persons who ordered food and before delivering it, he would contact them and say their exact location was not available.
“To get the right location, he would ask them to share their mobile number and location details on WhatsApp and deliver food. Later, he would contact them on WhatsApp and befriend them over time. He would then share information about drugs and how to use them,” he said.
The officer said Nithin lured many youngsters to drugs saying that taking them would enhance their concentration and help them in studies. “He told many youngsters that regular use of drugs improved brain functioning. He sold MDMA for Rs 3,000 per gram. Several youngsters, including girls, had fallen into his trap,” said an officer.
They said Nithin had taken MDMA before arriving near the stadium to meet the customer. “He resisted search when our team intercepted him. However, we subdued him and took him into custody,” said an officer. MDMA is a party drug that has gained popularity among addicts recently. Excise seized 153.455 grams of MDMA in the district in February alone.