The Kerala Police recently swooped down on seven people, including two women, who were found to be possessing MDMA drugs, laying bare a narcotics racket operating across the state. The cops said they seized 308 grams of MDMA in two interconnected drug cases in Thrissur district.

The operation was set in motion late Friday night when the Peechi Police Station personnel intercepted a suspicious vehicle at a checking point in Vaniyampara. When they searched the car thoroughly, they recovered narcotics, and later discovered that two grams of MDMA drug had been allegedly concealed in the private parts of one of the women travelling in the vehicle.

The accused were identified as Shifaz (26), a native of Kakkassery, Vidya (28) from Nenmeni, Jishnu (27) hailing from Attayoor and Sreelakshmi (20) from Nambazhikad, among others.

Suspicious activities lead to discovery, arrests

According to police, the group was taken into custody after their behaviour during the checkpoint inspection raised suspicion. The cops alerted the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force, which subjected the accused to further interrogation.

Party trail blows the lid off wider network

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had attended a party at a resort in Muthalmada in Palakkad district, and were on their way back home when they were intercepted by police. Acting on the disclosure, the police carried out a follow-up search at Shifaz’s residence, from where they recovered 13 grams of MDMA drug.

The investigating police personnel said the case picked up pace after one of the accused disclosed that more narcotics had been removed from the house by a friend named Sumesh.

Additional seizures made from fabrication unit

Following the lead, the Chavakkad Police tracked down Sumit’s aides, resulting in the arrest of two men; Shahbeer PA (37) of Thaikkad and Ansad (33), a resident of Chavakkad. The police then recovered 288.8 grams of MDMA from an aluminium-fabrication unit in Thaikkad on Saturday.

Later, the cops arrested Sumit too in connection with the case.

Drugs worth Rs 15L seized

According to senior police officials, as much as 308 grams of MDMA was seized during the entire operation, the market value of which amounted to over Rs 15 lakh. The seizures were carried out under cases registered at Peechi and Chavakkad police stations.

Police said they are still probing the case to trace the broader supply chain and identify other possible links in the racket. Meanwhile, all seven accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody.