KOCHI: The excise enforcement unit in Ernakulam which had seized LSD stamps from two parcels that arrived at the Foreign Post Office (FPO) in Kochi will hand over the probe to the excise crime branch. The enforcement unit has recommended the crime branch investigation as the case is linked with drug rackets abroad.
Two weeks back, the customs department informed the excise about two suspected parcels that arrived at the FPO in Kochi. The excise team during its checks recovered 31 LSD stamps from the parcels. The first parcel containing 26 LSD stamps arrived from Doha in Qatar and was addressed to Kozhikode native Fasallu and the second parcel arrived from the Netherlands and it contained five LSD stamps addressed to Thiruvananthapuram native Adithya.
Following a tip-off, the excise enforcement team in Kozhikode raided Fasallu’s house which led to the seizure of 82 more LSD stamps, 1.25kg of hashish oil and other drugs like cocaine and MDMA. The Thiruvananthapuram excise unit arrested Adithya and handed him over to the excise team in Ernakulam.
“This is a complicated case as the drugs arrived from Qatar and the Netherlands. An investigation into the origins of the drugs has to be conducted. We also suspect that there are more persons involved in similar drug smuggling operations through courier parcels.
So, we have recommended the transfer of the probe to the excise crime branch. Similarly, Fasallu was into drug peddling by sending contraband in parcels to his customers. There are cases registered against Fasallu in Kozhikode as well. The excise crime branch will club cases registered against Fasallu in Kozhikode and Adithya in Thiruvananthapuram as part of the probe,” an excise official said.
The excise has also decided to seek the custody of Fasallu and Adithya after a final decision on transferring the case to the crime branch is taken. “If the case is handed over to the crime branch, they will be taking them into custody,” the officer said.