Unable to trace Rahman Ali, the linchpin of the Chennai-based international smuggling racket suspected to be behind the seizure of ₹200-crore-worth MDMA or methylene dioxymethamphetamine, a recreational drug that also goes by the name Ecstasy, from a courier parcel here in September last, the Excise Department filed a part-charge sheet in the case before the District Sessions and Special Court NDPS, Ernakulam, earlier this week.
This was to dampen the likelihood of Prasanth Kumar, a Kannur native residing in Chennai, the sole accused to be arrested by the Excise in the case, receiving bail on completion of 180 days in jail.
He was arrested from Chennai shortly after the seizure of the premium drug.
Destined for Malaysia
Excise officials believe that the 30 kg drug, priced as high as ₹15,000 per gram in the local market, was destined for Malaysia. Ali had been absconding since then. Excise officials were all along under the impression that he was somewhere in Chennai since they had issued lookout circulars to all airports.
“However, he could have flown out to Malaysia on the day after we made the seizure and before we could issue the lookout circular,” a senior Excise official told The Hindu .
The department believes that Ali might be working for a Malaysia-based cartel, information on which could be known only on arresting him.
The official, however, said the Tamil Nadu Narcotics Intelligence Bureau, which is on his trail, had noticed his mobile number turning active at times. They, however, could not verify whether Ali was using the number as the area where it was found active and dominated by fishing community was out of bounds to them.
No knowledge of source
He said Prasanth hardly knew anything about the source of the drug. “He had accompanied Ali to Kolkata for five days.
But he does not seem to know whether the drug, which was sent to Kochi by courier from Chennai, was sourced from Kolkata or Chennai itself. Ali had deputed him to send it as air cargo to Malaysia from Kochi,” he added.
However, the courier firm operator grew suspicious and opened the consignment, exposing the smuggling bid.
Prasanth, who had allegedly moved the drug along the Kochi-Malaysia route on one occasion previously, was reportedly offered a resident visa to Malaysia and some money for peddling the drug, the officer said.
