Kerala police seize 1.2 kg of MDMA, arrest four for smuggling via Thiruvananthapuram airport

Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala Police on Thursday seized 1,265 grams of MDMA and arrested four people for allegedly smuggling the drug into the state from Muscat via Thiruvananthapuram international airport.

Thiruvananthapuram Rural SP, K S Sudharshan, said the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) of the Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the drug traffickers and took four persons into custody.

Their arrest was recorded later.

"We have arrested Shiju alias Sanju (41), V Unnikannan (39), R Prameen (35), and S Nandu (32).

The prime accused in the case, Shiju, already has two MDMA cases against him and was under the radar of the DANSAF team," the SP said.

He said Shiju, his family and Nandu had come to Thiruvananthapuram from Muscat by an Air India flight on Wednesday night.

Shiju and his family were travelling in an Innova and their luggages was carried in another vehicle.

The police team intercepted the vehicles at Kallambalam junction and recovered the contraband that was kept concealed in a dates' pack.

Police said the retail value of the contraband could be upto Rs 2 crore.

"We have information that Shiju has travelled to Muscat three times already this year, and further details regarding these trips are now being investigated," he said.

Police said how the concealed substance escaped detection by scanning machines at the airport needs to be examined.

"We will investigate whether Shiju received any assistance from anyone at the airport," Sudharshan said.

Police also recovered 17 bottles of foreign liquor, presumably brought from duty-free shops, and confiscated both vehicles used in the smuggling operation.

The prime accused, Shiju, who does not have a proper job, owns several luxury vehicles and is currently constructing a 4,000 sq ft house, police said.

Shiju was first identified when police arrested some MDMA traffickers and found him to be their main supplier. He was later arrested again in a similar case.

Police are now investigating his new retail network, which is believed to extend up to Kochi.