Kochi: Three held with 3.5 kg ganja in anti-drug operation
The Ernakulam Rural police on Tuesday arrested three migrant workers and seized 3.50 kg of suspected ganja from their possession. The accused, all residents of Murshidabad district in West Bengal, were intercepted while transporting the contraband on a scooter near Paravur.
The seizure was made during a combined operation by the Ernakulam Rural District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) and the Paravur police under the ongoing anti-drug campaign ''Operation Toofan''. Acting on a tip-off, the team set up a checkpoint and stopped the scooter, leading to the recovery of the suspected narcotic substance.
Police said the accused had procured the ganja from Odisha and were planning to sell it among migrant workers in the region. The contraband was reportedly purchased at ₹3,000 per kilogram, with the accused expecting a ten-fold profit from its sale. The estimated market value of the seized ganja is yet to be ascertained.
The three accused have been identified and are being questioned. They have been booked under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and identify any other persons involved in the smuggling racket.
Operation Toofan was launched as part of a broader initiative by the Kerala police to curb the illegal drug trade in the state. Ernakulam Rural police have intensified patrolling and surveillance in the region, particularly in areas with a high concentration of migrant workers, following complaints about the sale of drugs in such communities.
The police have urged the public to share any information about drug peddling or smuggling activities and assured that the identity of informants would be kept confidential. They also said that strict action would be taken against those found involved in the narcotics trade, which has been a growing concern across the state.
This is not the first such seizure in the district in recent weeks. The police have ramped up anti-narcotics operations, leading to multiple arrests and seizures. The latest arrest is seen as a setback to the illegal drug network operating in the region.
