Where are narcotics typically hidden? Well, they are tucked into trouser pockets, secreted away in handbags, or even concealed in undergarments. Law enforcement agencies have become increasingly adept at detecting these hiding spots. However, a recent case in Cherai, near Munambam, presented a unique challenge for the Ernakulam Rural Police.
The incident unfolded on the night of May 28, when Sub-Inspector Jayakumar P D of the Munambam Police Station received a confidential tip-off. The alert suggested that high-potency narcotic substances were being stored and possibly sold at a villa in the OLH Colony of Cherai.
Without delay, Jayakumar relayed the intelligence to Station House Officer Sandeep and documented the intelligence in writing, initiating proceedings under the NDPS Act’s provisions for search and seizure without a warrant.
Soon, a special inspection squad was formed, and it included SI Hemanth Mohan, ASIs Sreeji and Raji, and CPO Sreejith. Equipped with the station’s investigation kit, the team reached the villa, confirmed by its nameboard.
On entering the compound, they encountered an unexpected twist: the property had two buildings.
The team began with the western structure, topped with a GI-sheet roof. After verifying ownership, they contacted the landlord, a local resident, and asked him to be present for the search.
“When the owner arrived, he informed us that he had rented out the northern building of the villa to a tenant starting May 1 under an 11-month agreement. Upon hearing the nature of our inquiry, he readily agreed to cooperate,” Jayakumar recalls.
A thorough search of the western building and the kitchen yielded no illegal substances. Focus then shifted to the northern building, i.e. the rented unit. A woman answered the door, and officers explained their purpose. She identified herself as Kashmera P, a 25-year-old who hails from Chiyyaram in Thrissur. With both her consent and that of the landlord, the team, accompanied by a woman police officer, initiated a search.
The layout was simple: a family cot at the centre, windows on the southern and eastern walls, and a bathroom in the northwest corner. A check of the cupboards revealed only clothes, cosmetics, and a helmet. Seeing no immediate evidence, the officers politely apologised for the intrusion and began to leave.
But just then, an observant officer noticed a black sunglasses pouch placed oddly atop the air conditioning unit.
“One of the officers casually asked why the pouch was there — was it to keep it away from children, perhaps?” recounted the woman police officer on the scene. “The woman seemed momentarily uneasy and said she had placed it there by mistake.”
Sensing her discomfort, the officer shifted to a conversational tone, asking about her sunglasses and favourite brands. As he reached for the pouch and opened it, he found several zip-lock packets.
Two contained dried green leaves and buds, and six more filled with a white crystalline substance. On gentle but direct questioning, the woman admitted the crystalline substance was MDMA and the leaves were ganja.
Realising the seriousness of the discovery, the team followed the due legal procedure. A body search, mandated to be conducted in the presence of a magistrate or gazetted officer, was arranged. V K Sasikumar, SHO of Njarakkal Police Station, was contacted, and a female ASI conducted the search. Apart from a mobile phone, no other items were found on the woman.
“She was taken into custody following all legal protocols and charged under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act,” Jayakumar says. With this, and thanks to the sharp eye and quick thinking of the officer, one more drug abuse and trafficking case was clamped down.