The Sreekaryam police have arrested four people with alleged possession of 350 g of hashish oil.
The accused have been identified as Arshad, 29, of Vellayani, Badushah, 27, Ajmal, 27, and Irfan, 28, of Nemom. They were apprehended at the Sreekaryam junction during an alleged attempt to smuggle the contraband in an auto-rickshaw on Saturday evening.
The gang told the police it was involved in poultry business and they were headed to a restaurant to collect payment for a sale of chicken meat. However, the police searched the vehicle after receiving a tip-off and subsequently discovered the concealed contraband.
The prime accused, Arshad, is involved in several cases registered in the Nemom, Fort and Karamana police stations. He underwent jail term recently after being detained under provisions of Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) in February.
In another case, the Thiruvallam police arrested Anand, 21, of Madathilnada, with alleged possession of 800 g of MDMA. The contraband, found in three packets, was purportedly brought from Menilam to be peddled in various parts of the city.