KOCHI: A probe into the recent seizure of a consignment of hypnotic drugs from a Malappuram passenger at Kochi airport has now revealed that international drug cartels are using carriers dressed up as business persons to smuggle illegal substances from African countries.
The seized drug was Methaqualone, commonly known by the street name Quaaludes. It is a central nervous system depressant that functions as a sedative drug. The arrested passenger has been identified as Muraleedharan Unni KN, 56, of Perinthalmanna in Malappuram.
His arrest on August 21 has helped agencies unearth the modus operandi of the cartel.
Muraleedharan was nabbed by a team of Customs officials at the airport based on intelligence input.
Eight packages of pale yellowish-white coloured powder weighing 18029.85 grams were recovered from his bag.
“Muraleedharan had come from Harare via Doha to Cochin to proceed to New Delhi. It was on examination of the contraband using Narcotic Drug Detection Kit that we confirmed that the recovered substance was Methaqualone,” said a Customs officer.
As per the assessment of the Customs, the seized contraband was valued at around Rs 9 crore.“The investigation is progressing. Muraleedharan used to travel frequently between African countries and India claiming to be a businessman. We are verifying his links and connections in India,” the official sources said.
Meanwhile, the Ernakulam Sessions Court on January 7 rejected the second application filed by Muraleedharan for bail. Muraleedharan submitted before the court that his job was to collect garments from different places in Africa and bring them to Delhi for a commission amount.
He informed the court that he wasn’t aware of the contraband concealed in the baggage and that he was trapped in the crime.
However, the court rejected his plea observing that the allegations against him were very serious and that the contraband involved was commercial quantity.