The excise department on Wednesday arrested a youngster allegedly with 53 grams of diazepam, a prescription drug, from North Paravur.
The arrested was identified as Shinto Shaji, 22, of North Paravur. The drugs actually prescribed for anxiety-related disorders is abused by the youth for recreational purposes. He was nabbed with the drug during a routine patrolling.
The youngster, on seeing excise officials, turned panicky and tried to effect a sudden deviation at Cheriapilly Junction. But his motorcycle overturned in the sudden manoeuver and the officials apprehended him. Later, the packet containing the drug was found from him.
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Excise officials had received a tip-off that the accused used to consume the drug besides peddling it among youth. It soon emerged that he had been given counselling by the department in the past to get over his drug addiction. The accused allegedly sold the drug in small lots of half a gram for as much as ₹500 to ₹800. The drug was allegedly jabbed in after being mixed with a saline solution.
A team led by excise circle inspector S. Nijumon and Preventive Officer V.S. Haneesh and comprising officials O.S. Jagadish, T.G. Bainu, T.T. Srikumar, M.T. Sreejith, and Raji Jose effected the arrest. The accused was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.