The excise department on Monday arrested a 17-year-old Plus Two student allegedly with 2.25 kg of ganja from near the Thripunithura railway station.
Originally from Kunnathunadu in Ernakulam, the teenager is now living in Tirur, Malappuram district. He allegedly confessed to the excise officials that he had bought the ganja for one Jinudev to whom he had allegedly sold 15 kg of ganja a month ago.
The teenager was tracked down following the statements of one Nithin of Kannankulangara, who was arrested with 500 grams of ganja last week. He used to supply ganja only against advance payment online, which the excise said, was a ploy to ensure that it was not a trap by the police or excise.
According to excise, the minor confessed to have been using drugs since the age of 13 before turning to sale a year later. Initially, he dealt in small quantities before switching to wholesale trade eyeing a luxurious life.
He used to purchase ganja for ₹10,000 a kg from Tamil Nadu and then trade it off for ₹50,000 mainly to drug dealers in Malappuram, Thrissur, and Ernakulam districts. He also used social media platforms for the purpose.
Excise officials said that the student started leading a solitary life after his parents were separated and married afresh. He reportedly confessed to have lived in a luxurious flat in Malappuram.
A team led by Thripunithura range excise Inspector Biju Varghese; preventive officer Kochumon; civil excise officers Sunilkumar, Naufal, Dhiru J. Arakkal, and Manoj, and woman civil excise officer Raseena.
Ganja found dumped
The Kunnathunadu police seized 11 kg of ganja filled in sacks, which were found abandoned in a rubber plantation near Pattimattom.
A tapping worker had found the suspicious package when he turned up for work in the early morning hours on Monday. He promptly alerted the plantation owner who in turn informed the police.
On opening one of the sacks at the station, the police found ganja in five tightly sealed packets covered with brown paper. Another abandoned packet containing 2 kg of ganja was found along the Pattimattom-Kizhakkambalam Road on Sunday night.
The police are trying to find out whether the two incidents were connected. The initial hunch is that the peddlers may have abandoned the drug on failing to change hands as planned owing to police patrolling in the night.
The police lead by Kunnathunadu Station House Officer V.T. Shajan has intensified the probe.
