The investigation into the seizure of nearly 103 grams of MDMA hidden in a scooter along Stadium Link Road in July seems to have set a new template in handling cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by the Kochi City police.
Unlike in the past when the investigation usually wound up with the arrest of the carriers, the Palarivattom police have launched a protracted probe in an attempt to go up the layers of the racket to find the source. So far, six arrests, including those of a Nigerian and a Ghanian, have been made, exposing a deeply entrenched African racket, which reportedly supplied nearly 5 kg of MDMA in Kochi alone.
The probe is being undertaken with directions from District Police Chief (Kochi City) C.H. Nagaraju to crack the whip on drug rackets and go up the supply chain. “There have been strict instructions to expand the investigation into the source in all NDPS cases involving drugs in commercial quantity. The District Police Chief has been closely following the investigation,” said Palarivattom Inspector S. Sanal.
The police are looking at even more arrests, including those of two Nigerians, in the case, besides exposing the financial source behind the racket. While the two foreign nationals to be nabbed so far were arrested from Bengaluru, the police say the manufacturing network of MDMA may be spread across even more cities, including Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Mumbai.
“The drug seized from the scooter was part of a consignment of 1 kg sourced from Delhi for ₹6 lakh, which comes to around ₹600 per gram. However, it was sold in Kochi at anywhere between ₹1,500 and ₹2,000 per gram,” said Mr. Sanal.
Nabbing the accused from alien territory also presents risks. “In fact, tracking them down is a Herculean task in itself as they cover their footprints quite well. While WhatsApp chats between the accused are often traced to foreign numbers, the calls are made from SIM cards made available illegally without any ID documents on paying as little as ₹1,500 in places like Bengaluru,” said Mr. Sanal.
The police are planning to expand investigation into other cities such as Delhi once they wind up operations in Bengaluru. They have not even ruled out the possibility of multiple rackets being involved or a common mastermind linking these rackets though it remains to be verified.
“It is even possible that an Indian may be at the helm of these rackets as foreign elements being able to pull off such a massive operation remain unlikely. We also need to verify the possible involvement of pharmaceutical players with the requisite licence serving as a perfect cover,” said Mr. Sanal.
