THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The excise sleuths probing the seizure of 250gm of MDMA in Thiruvananthapuram on June 8 have found that the contraband was purchased from Delhi. The excise had arrested a 29-year-old Angamaly native Tonin Tomi from Puthiyathura in the rural parts of the district while transporting the contraband.
The officials got custody of Tonin on Tuesday and it was during the interrogation that the accused revealed about purchasing the synthetic drug from a Nigerian man at Chhatarpur in Delhi. The excise sources said in the bulk of the MDMA cases registered in the state, it was found that the drug was brought in from Bengaluru.
There were only a very few incidents in the past that revealed the Delhi connections of drug peddlers. The excise sources said Tonin, who is a member of a quotation gang and involved in 10 criminal cases, including murder, was put in touch with the Nigerian by another drug peddler, Mathew.
Mathew is believed to be a resident of Andhra Pradesh and had befriended Tonin while both were lodged in prison. The source added that dealing with drug suppliers from Delhi reinforced doubts that a well-oiled racket could be behind the whole operation.
“It’s not that difficult to get in touch with drug suppliers in South Indian cities like Bengaluru. There are a lot of Keralites residing there and over a period of time one can easily make contacts. But to establish contacts with a Nigerian drug dealer in Delhi is not an easy job. A well-oiled racket could have facilitated this liaisoning,” said an excise official.
Drug sale to fund UK trip?
Meanwhile, the excise sources claimed that they have recovered evidence suggesting it was Tonin’s friend Ebin Eugene, who financed the purchase of drugs from Delhi. Ebin was arrested in a separate case after being found in possession of 5gm of MDMA. The sources said Ebin gave Rs 2.7 lakh to Tonin to purchase the drug. Tonin was planning to sell the drugs for Rs 10 lakh.
The sources added that Ebin wanted to use the profit earned from the drug business to fund his trip to the United Kingdom. Having worked in the UK before, Ebin wanted to go back and was waiting to earn a handsome profit from the drug sale to foot his travel expenses.
The excise sources added that they would add Ebin as an accused in the 250 gm MDMA case as well.
Excise dept registers 45,637 cases
The excise department has registered 45,637 cases in the first five months of this year. A total of 2,726 people were arrested during the period, said an official statement.
The department seized 4.04 kg of MDMA, 448 gm methamphetamine, 4.03 kg of hashish oil, 1184.94 kg of ganja, 1,931 ganja plants, 2.727 gm LSD, 191.725 gm of brown sugar, 276 gm heroin over the period and the total value of the contraband was calculated at 14.66 crores. As many as 578 vehicles were also seized.
The number also includes 8,003 abkari cases and 34,894 cases for the sale of banned tobacco products.
As many as 6,926 people were held in the Abkari cases.