Recording the largest drug seizure of the year till date in the State, the Excise department nabbed three persons with alleged possession of nearly 85 kg of ganja near Neyyattinkara on Saturday.
Acting on the basis of a tip-off received by Assistant Excise Commissioner of the State Excise Enforcement Squad (SEES) T. Anikumar, an excise team intercepted the gang when they reached Kulakkode near Perumkadavila.
The team jointly led by Mr. Anikumar and Neyyattinkara Excise Circle Inspector Tony Isaac apprehended Sibin Raj alias Achu, 26, and Gokul Krishna alias Appu, 26, both hailing from Maranalloor; and Arun Kumar alias Kannan, 30, of Mannadikonam near Maranalloor. The sleuths confiscated the gang’s car and a motorcycle that is suspected to have gone as an escort vehicle to anticipate any possible threats.
A fourth accused, Aneesh alias Vilavankode Lal, managed to flee from the area on seeing the excise team. The department has been in pursuit of the history-sheeter ever since he purportedly smuggled a large quantity of ganja to the district a few weeks ago.
According to SEES Inspector T.R. Mukesh Kumar, who was part of the operation, the gang had sourced the contraband from Andhra Pradesh. The three arrested youths are suspected to be drug carriers in the racket, while Vilavankode Lal is believed to have masterminded the operation. He has been involved in several criminal and other cases relating to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
