KOCHI
The Ernakulam range excise on Thursday arrested a youngster with 3.50g of MDMA from St. Benedict Road in Ernakulam North.
The arrested man was identified as Manunadh, 21, a college student from Ponnunrunni. His motorcycle was also seized.
Excise officials accused him of having distributed the drug through intermediaries to many clients on demand at the place of their choice. He was allegedly waiting for an intermediary to hand over the drug for a birthday party when he was nabbed.
He was reportedly under the surveillance of the excise shadow team following a tip-off. He allegedly used to source the drug through his friends in Goa and Bengaluru. He bought it for ₹2,000 per gram and sold it for ₹4,000 to ₹7,000, excise officials said.
Excise has launched a detailed probe into his alleged dealings. He was produced in court and remanded.
A team comprising Ernakulam Range Inspector M.S. Haneefa, assistant inspector K.R. Ramprasad, city shadow members N.D. Tomy and N.G. Ajithkumar, civil excise officers B. Jitheesh and T. Abhilash made the arrest.
Two arrested
The Chengamanad police on Thursday arrested a two persons, who were allegedly associates of a racket involved in smuggling in drugs from Bengaluru and selling here.
The arrested were identified as Ajmal, 23, and Savin Pappali, 25, both residents of Vazhakkala.
The Angamaly police had seized 50g of MDMA while it was being smuggled in from Bengaluru in December last. Sudheer, a resident of Perumbavoor, was also arrested on the spot.
The youngsters arrested on Thursday were allegedly associates of Sudheer and had been absconding since then. The racket centred on Kochi and used to smuggle in synthetic drugs on tourist buses, the police said.
A special squad comprising Inspector S.M. Pradeep Kumar, sub inspectors V.K. Pradeep Kumar and P.B. Shaji, assistant sub inspector A.B. Sinumon, and civil police officers Linson Paulose and Shibu Ayyapan made the arrest.
