An Excise team from Manjeri Range busted a major ganja racket when they captured a man with 25 kg of ganja from Payyanad, near Manjeri, on Thursday.
The seized ganja was in the form of cakes made with the help of a hydraulic press. Mustafa, 60, son of Mohammed from Thuvvoor near Wandoor, was arrested when he was carrying the ganja cakes on a scooter. The Excise team was led by Inspector T. Rajeev.
Excise Deputy Commissioner T.K. Suresh said that Mustafa was the kingpin of a major ganja racket involving many local dealers in the neighbouring districts. Mustafa was found to have been bringing ganja in bulk in Volvo buses from Madurai and distributing in Palakkad, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Malappuram districts.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the lowest level, two gm of ganja is charged Rs.50. Mustafa reportedly confessed that he used to bring 50 kg ganja every month from Madurai. Mr. Suresh said that Mustafa were already involved in three narcotic cases. He will be produced at the NDPSA (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) court at Vadakara in Kozhikode on Friday.
The Excise team held another man, Abdulla, son of Vettikkattil Hamza, from Payyanad with 500 gm ganja in his possession. His connection with the racket headed by Mustafa is yet to be ascertained.
60-year-old man brought ganja from Madurai
Two gm of ganja
sold at Rs.50