Nearly a month after the seizure of 31 LSD stamps in two parcels from the Netherlands and Qatar at the International Mail Centre of the postal department here, a decision is yet to be taken on a proposal to hand over the probe to a national agency.
The Excise department had recommended roping in a national agency, probably the Narcotics Control Bureau, shortly after the seizure last month. Three persons were arrested, two of whom continue to be in judicial custody, from three different cities, and six different cases have been registered since then.
Though the idea of handing over the case to the Excise Crime Branch (ECB) was also toyed with, it was feared to be less effective considering the international ramifications of the cases. “Since the premium drugs were smuggled in from abroad, tracing them to their sources called for better access that national agencies alone command,” Excise department sources said.
Besides, digital currencies and dark web were suspected to be involved in transactions for the purchase of drugs. A probe into it calls for expertise in the field that is beyond the Excise department. An Assistant Excise Commissioner is leading the probe.
The chain of events started with the seizure of 31 LSD stamps in two parcels on March 16. While the parcel from the Netherlands containing five LSD stamps was addressed to one Aditya, 23, from Thiruvananthapuram, the other with 26 LSD stamps from Qatar was meant for one K. Fazalu, 34, of Kozhikode. Both were arrested shortly thereafter.
It led to further seizures of 1.43 kg of hashish oil, 83 LSD stamps, 3.15 grams of cocaine, and 2.74 grams of MDMA from Fazalu’s house. Excise officials also seized two parcels that Fazalu had tried to courier using two fake addresses through a firm at Mankavu in Kozhikode. One of the couriers containing four MDMA pills weighing 2.14 grams was bound for a recipient in Pune, and the other containing 0.917 grams of methamphetamine was meant for one Govindaraj Kammath, who was arrested and later released on bail, in Mattancherry.
“Though we had since then found that Fazalu had sent more parcels by courier before he was nabbed, we could not register any case for want of material evidence,” said Excise sources.
