In a major drug haul, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Excise department seized 5.3 kg of hashish oil valued at nearly ₹10 crore from two people at the Palakkad Junction Railway Station on Thursday.
Aneesh Kurian, 36, son of Kurian Zacharia from Idukki, and Albin Elias, 22, son of V.V. Elias from Kannur, were arrested with the hashish oil.
The seizure was made as part of an enhanced vigil and joint operation by the Excise and RPF as part of upcoming Independence Day celebrations.
Officials said that the duo were part of a gang involved in bringing hashish oil in bulk by train from Visakhapatanam to Kochi. The gang, according to Excise officials, would export the drugs to Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Dubai by flight.
RPF Commandant Jetin B. Raj said here that checking would be increased and a special squad would be formed to bust the racket involved in bringing ganja and hashish from other States on trains.
The team that caught the hashish oil comprised Excise Circle Inspector P.K. Sateesh, RPF Circle Inspector Suraj S. Kumar, Excise Inspector K.R. Ajit, RPF Assistant Sub-Inspectors Saji Augustine and Shaju Kumar, Excise preventive officers Arun T.J., Manikandan T.P., RPF constable P. Rajendran, Civil Excise Officers Jagjit K., Sumesh K., Vijesh Kumar, Ashraf Ali, and Sunil B.
