For the second consecutive day, excise sleuths seized ganja from the district taking the seizure beyond seven kilograms in 48 hours.
Two Odisha natives were arrested from Kakkanad with over a kilogram of ganja on Thursday morning close on the heels of the seizure of six kilograms of ganja the previous day.
The arrested were identified as Pintu Naik, 25, aka Chotta Bhai, and Panchanana Naik, 25, aka Bada Bhai. They were reportedly selling the drug in Kakkanad area for the past three years. The contraband was seized from them in 220 tubular shaped-packages.
“They had come in the guise of migrant workers but turned ganja suppliers realising its huge market potential here. They procured ganja either from Odisha for anything between ₹5,000 and ₹6,000 a kilogram or from Cumbam, in which case the procurement price goes up to ₹15,000,” said Ashok Kumar T.A., Divisional Assistant Excise Commissioner.
The drug was transported to the district by hiding it in holds above flesh tanks in train compartments.
The duo created a network of Malayali suppliers but made sure that even they were not aware of their whereabouts. The interrogation of carriers arrested with negligible volumes of ganja led the excise to the Odisha duo. “We have identified their local suppliers and they are under surveillance,” said Mr. Kumar.
‘Chotta Bhai’ collected the money from clients through the suppliers during which ‘Bada Bhai’ clandestinely watched them. Their clientele comprised both locals and migrant workers. Mr. Kumar said that migrant workers used to buy multiple packages, and after using some of it they sold the rest for a small profit.
A team led by Excise Inspector P. Sreeraj and Preventive Officers K.R. Ramprasad and A.S. Jayan and civil excise officers made the arrest. The accused were produced before the court and remanded.
