The probe that is under way into the recent seizures of hashish oil in the city took a crucial turn on Thursday with the three accused Maldivians being sent to police custody.
Shaneez Maheer, a drug trafficker, along with two others Ebrahim Fousan Salih and Aymen Ahmed, was arrested by the Cantonment police on charge of possession of 17 kg of hashish oil, valued around ₹5 crore, on June 4. They will remain in police custody till June 19.
The gang was apprehendby the Kerala Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force while ‘trying to smuggle the contraband to the Maldives.’
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Another seizure
The probe team has obtained information that the narcotic substances were sourced from the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, before being processed to a highly condensed form and repacked to be smuggled abroad. The team will also investigate whether the racket is linked to the confiscation of 10 kg of hashish oil by Excise officials in the city last month. Three persons, including a hotelier, had been arrested then. Incidentally, an Excise team had arrested a former police officer, Vincent of Rajakkad in Idukki, in connection with this case on Wednesday. Mr. Vincent, who had been dismissed from service following a Vigilance report that exposed his links with the drug mafia, was apprehended from Adimaly on Tuesday.
He was allegedly caught while forging documents to scuttle the probe. He is accused of creating fake documents pertaining to the confiscated car used to smuggle the contraband, in a bid to mislead the probe team and protect those involved in the racket.
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