The Ernakulam Excise Special Squad on Friday chased down a car and arrested three occupants allegedly with 2.50 kg of ganja along Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road.
The arrested are Saheer, 24, and his aides Alshad, 25, and Joemon Joseph, 24, all from Thodupuzha.
“Incidentally, the brother of Saheer and a woman along with him were arrested by the Perumbavoor police a fortnight ago with 14 kg of ganja,” Excise Inspector P. Sreeraj said.
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On a tip-off, Excise sleuths tried to intercept the car on Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road. However, it evaded the Excise vehicle following which the officials chased it down. According to Excise sources, the accused had smuggled in ganja from Cumbam in Tamil Nadu. “The accused had a toy gun with them which was a ruse to scare off gangs targeting ganja and hawala dealers along the Tamil Nadu border. The contraband was reportedly meant for clients in the city ahead of Onam,” said Mr. Sreeraj.
The arrest was made based on information provided by the Narcotic Top Secret Group led by Circle Inspector B. Suresh. A team led by Mr. Sreeraj and comprising preventive officers Ram Prasad and George Joseph, civil excise officers M.M. Arun Kumar, Sidharthan, and Ratheesh made the arrest.