KOCHI: It happened in Mumbai. However, ripples of the recent haul of synthetic drugs worth Rs 1,476 crore by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) are being felt in Kerala too. For two Keralites, Kochi-based importer Vigin Varghese, 33, and Malappuram native Mansoor Mansoor Thachaparamban who lives in South Africa, are also allegedly involved in the racket.
The shocking seizure – of 198kg crystal meth and 9kg cocaine – from a consignment of oranges by the DRI in Mumbai last week comes even as the Kerala government is all set to launch an extensive anti-drug campaign from Thursday.
The drugs were to be smuggled to other countries, said sources. Vigin, the MD of Yammito International Foods India and a native of Mookkannoor in Ernakulam, was arrested by the DRI. On Wednesday, the excise department raided Yammito’s warehouse in Kalady. “A formal search was conducted at the warehouse to check whether any drugs were smuggled in fruit consignments.
No drugs were found,” said R Jayachandran, Excise Deputy Commissioner. The DRI probe had found that the oranges were sent from South Africa by Mansoor, who runs the firm More Fresh Exports South Africa Pvt Ltd there. He also owns More Fresh India Pvt Ltd in India. “We collected details of the consignments that arrived at the warehouse and people associated with the firm,” Jayachandran said.
Mansoor’s partners deny knowledge of drug dea
Jayachandran said they are checking whether the firm was involved in any drug deals in Kerala, specifically in Ernakulam. “If required, we will coordinate with DRI,” he said. The excise team led by Excise Assistant Commissioner B Tennymon also recorded the statement of Jibin Varghese, Vigin’s brother and the director of More Fresh India Pvt Ltd.
“We found several boxes of fruits that arrived from various countries and are meant to be distributed to wholesalers and retailers. We have interrogated two persons who are partners in the firm. They have denied knowledge of any drug deals,” he said. The DR I Mumbai unit too had carried out a search in coordination with DR I Kochi at the warehouse as well as Vigin’s residence on Saturday and seized import documents, bank transaction details and devices like mobile phones and hard disks. A magistrate court in Mumbai sent Vijin to DR I’s custody for five days on Saturday.
“Yammito International Foods India has its registered office in Angamaly. However, it is non-functional. It was later moved to Kalady. The firm has warehouses in Ayyampuzha and Kalady,” said a DRI official. The company began as a fruit wholesaler in 2015 and expanded to Dubai in 2017.
“In 2018, Yammito was registered as a private limited firm and began importing fruits. The firm has offices in Mumbai and Dubai too. During the Covid outbreak, the firm exported masks to Gulf countries,” said the official.