In a joint operation, the Aluva Range Excise and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested two persons allegedly with 48 kg of ganja at the Aluva railway station.
The arrested were identified as Nidhinnath, 26, of Malappuram, and Sudheer Krishna, 45, from Karnataka. They were arrested while taking the ganja smuggled in from Andhra Pradesh to an Idukki resident.
Excise sleuths claimed that the arrested confessed to have smuggled in the contraband in connection with the forthcoming election. They were travelling with fake identity cards in the train’s AC compartment.
The ganja smuggled from Andhra Pradesh was being sold as a premium variety from Idukki with the help of agents to tap into the increased demand in connection with the election. The Excise has deployed a special team to check the smuggling of drugs from outside the State.
A team comprising Excise Inspector R. Aji Raj, RPF sub inspector P.V. Raju, preventive officer N.G. Ajithkumar, civil excise officers N.D. Tomy, Ratheesh K.R., Gireesh Krishnan, S. Anoop, Neethu P.U., and Thasia K.M. made the arrest.
