A four-member group, including a woman, was arrested with over 350 grams of MDMA worth around ₹35 lakh by the Ernakulam Excise special squad from Stadium Link Road at Kaloor on Friday around 8 p.m.
The arrested are Susymol, 24, of Chingavanam, Kottayam; Elroy, 21, of Mangattukara, Angamaly; Ajmal, 25, of Athani, Kakkanad; and Ameer, 22, of Chengamanad.
It has emerged that the woman was on the Excise radar for quite long for her alleged involvement in drug peddling around the stadium, which has emerged as a drug hotspot of sorts of late.
According to sources, she allegedly enlisted women for drug supply during night. Reportedly, an Excise official approached her as a client and nabbed her when she had come to make the delivery. The other three accused had accompanied her, and the drug was seized from their car.
“The woman claimed to have no knowledge about the source or the supplier of the drug. According to her, the consignment used to be surreptitiously left in a marshy land in the neighbourhood of the runway of the Kochi airport. She said they were merely sent the location and colour of the packet of the delivery through text message. Once sold, the agent used to contact her, and she used to get her cut. How much of this is true remains to be verified,” said Excise sources.
The special squad comprising inspector K.P. Pramod, preventive officers N.G. Ajithkumar and M.T. Haris, city metro shadow team members N.D. Tomy, Padmagireeshan P., Animol P., Badar, and P.C. Praveen made the seizure.
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