KOCHI: The Ernakulam Rural Police have initiated a comprehensive investigation following a massive seizure of high-quality hybrid ganja in Perumbavoor. According to initial police estimates, the street value of the confiscated contraband is pegged at a staggering Rs 18 crore.
Ernakulam Range DIG Yathish Chandra confirmed that the operation, executed on Thursday, stands out as one of the largest single-day narcotics seizures recorded in Kerala this year. In connection with the high-profile case, the police team arrested 39-year-old Ayush, a native of Njarakkal, along with his wife, Anika.
The initial breakthrough occurred during a routine vehicle interception in Perumbavoor, where police teams recovered 1.5 kg of hybrid ganja hidden inside Ayush’s scooter. Officials noted that visual surveillance and vehicular checks had been significantly enhanced in the region following precise intelligence inputs regarding suspicious drug movements.
A follow-up raid conducted at the couple’s rented apartment in Perumbavoor led to the discovery of an additional 16.5 kg of the premium contraband. The total weight of the narcotics seized during the entire operation amounted to approximately 18 kg.
The police department is actively mapping out the entire hierarchy of the illegal cartel. Investigators are gathering intelligence on all integrated levels of the network, including end-users, street-level retailers, wholesalers, and the international kingpins funding the supply chains.
The probe team strongly suspects that Ayush was operating as a major wholesale dealer for the region. “Ayush is suspected to be a wholesale supplier. We have begun an inquiry into his suppliers and distribution network. Steps are being taken to identify and crack the entire network,” DIG Yathish Chandra stated, adding that the contraband is highly suspected to have been sourced from overseas markets.
A senior investigative officer remarked that while they are meticulously auditing the logistics and background details of the arrested couple, further specific identity markers cannot be made public at this current stage of the ongoing probe.
Intelligence sources revealed that the police are verifying if the narcotics were smuggled into the state via countries like Malaysia or Thailand. It was discovered that the couple had been occupying the Perumbavoor flat for just the past two weeks.
As part of the wider crackdown, investigators have started compiling a detailed dossier on the couple’s previous residential addresses, recent domestic and international travel histories, financial bank transactions, log of vehicle movements, and phone call records.
The arrested couple is undergoing sustained custodial interrogation. The police are trying to ascertain whether the Perumbavoor apartment was being used purely as a safehouse storage facility or if it also functioned as a localized distribution hub. Higher officials mentioned that the scope of the investigation will widen as more leads emerge from the interrogation.
ലഘു വിവരണം
പെരുമ്പാവൂരിൽ 18 കോടി രൂപ വിലമതിക്കുന്ന 18 കിലോ ഹൈബ്രിഡ് കഞ്ചാവുമായി ദമ്പതികളെ എറണാകുളം റൂറൽ പോലീസ് അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്തു. ഞാറക്കൽ സ്വദേശി ആയുഷ്, ഭാര്യ അനിഖ എന്നിവരാണ് പിടിയിലായത്. സ്കൂട്ടറിൽ കടത്തുകയായിരുന്ന കഞ്ചാവ് പിടികൂടിയതിനെ തുടർന്ന് ഇവരുടെ ഫ്ലാറ്റിൽ നടത്തിയ റെയ്ഡിലാണ് ബാക്കി ലഹരിവസ്തുക്കൾ കണ്ടെടുത്തത്. മലേഷ്യയോ തായ്ലൻഡോ പോലുള്ള വിദേശ രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് എത്തിച്ച മയക്കുമരുന്നിന്റെ മൊത്തവിതരണക്കാരാണ് ഇവരെന്ന് പോലീസ് സംശയിക്കുന്നു. പ്രതികളുടെ സാമ്പത്തിക ഇടപാടുകളെക്കുറിച്ചും ശൃംഖലയെക്കുറിച്ചും അന്വേഷണം പുരോഗമിക്കുകയാണ്.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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