The Aluva Range Excise Shadow team on Thursday arrested a person allegedly with 50 nitrazepam tablets, a hypnotic drug prescribed for relief from anxiety and insomnia, at Muttom near Aluva.
The arrested was identified as Binu, 26, of Thoppumpady. According to excise sleuths, he was the lynchpin of a drug network engaged in supplying drugs to various parts of the State.
He had several charges, including assault, robbery, and theft, against him and was released from jail eight months ago on completing a five-year jail term. Since then he turned his focus onto drug pushing, said excise officials.
The excise officials had arrested three persons with 88 nitrazepam tablets last month.
Information gathered from them had reportedly led to his arrest. His modus operandi was to procure drugs in bulk from Salem and distribute it among peddlers and middlemen in various parts of the State.
He was high on drugs when picked up while waiting for one such middle-man. He put up stiff resistance following which the excise sleuths had to overpower him and he was later subjected to treatment at the Aluva taluk hospital.
Excise is on the look out for his clients and middlemen who were absconding. More arrests are likely in the coming days, the officials said.
A team led by inspector T.K. Gopi and comprising preventive officer A. Vasudevan, shadow team members N.D. Tomy and N.G. Ajithkumar, and civil excise officer Siyad.
