Perinthalmanna :Police once again made large drug bust in Perithnalmannu, this time seizing 51 gms of highly potent synthetic party drug the MDM, more popularly known as the ecstasy pill. Nabbed with the contraband, that’s worth Rs 5.5 lakhs in international markets, is Ottapalam native Athannikkal Muhammad Shafi(23) from around PTM college.
There were reports about rising drug use especially that of MSD and LSLD among collegegoers in the district. Shafi was caught based on a tip received by police chief S Sujith Das Shafi, who kept the locality under surveillance for a week.
The culprit makes his purchase in Bengaluru at Rs 1000 a gram and brings it to Kerala by train. He then packed them into 1-gm pouches selling each at Rs 5000 to retail peddlers in Malappuram, Palakkad, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Coimbatore. The drug cartel is Bengaluru-based where Nigerian operatives sell them to bulk buyers like the accused. Shafi has been caught by police before with 6 kilos of ganja in his possession.
In current arrest, officers completed proceedings in presence of Excise CI Sachidanand. The catch is the biggest haul of synthetic drug yet in the district.
The operation was headed by Malappuram PoliceChief S. Sujith Das and Perinthamlmanna DySP M Santhosh Kumar, assisted by Perinthalmanna CI Sunil Pulikkal, SI C.K. Naushad and members of the district’s Anti-narcotics Squad.
