24 Hours, 3 Arrests, 160 Grams MDMA: Drug Bust In Kerala

In a major drug bust, the Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotic Special Squad of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram arrested three people within a span of 24 hours and seized over 160 grams of the synthetic drug MDMA, along with two vehicles.

In the biggest seizure, the squad arrested 21-year-old Aromal A of Kottakkakam with 106 grams of MDMA near the College of Architecture at Vilappilsala. He was transporting the drug on a Royal Enfield Classic 350 motorcycle.

Excise officials said Aromal had been on the radar of enforcement agencies for some time, with several complaints received against him. His house had also been searched on multiple occasions, but officials had been unable to catch him with narcotics.

According to officials, the 21-year-old had adopted an unusual method to evade enforcement teams. He  conducted his drug deals near water bodies so that if he spotted or suspected police or excise personnel, he could jump into the water and swim away. This made him particularly difficult to catch, officials said.

Acting on specific intelligence under Operation Thunder, the Excise squad placed Aromal under surveillance before finally trapping him at Vilappilsala. Officials alleged that he had been supplying MDMA in areas around schools and colleges in the Nedumangad-Aryanad belt.

The operation was led by Excise Circle Inspector Regilal.

In the second major operation, the same Excise Narcotic Squad arrested Antony, alias "Dark Antony", and Zaheer, alias "Irumban Zaheer", near Puthenkada on the Kazhakkoottam-Karode bypass.

Excise officials described Antony as a gym owner and alleged that the two were associated with the Valiyathura "Hit Squad". Officials said both have been named as accused in multiple criminal and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases.

A Dio scooter allegedly used for transporting MDMA was also seized.

Across the two operations, the Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotic Special Squad seized more than 160 grams of MDMA, arrested three people and confiscated two vehicles within 24 hours.

Officials said the operations followed sustained surveillance and that the excise team had to block the accused's vehicles to prevent them from escaping.

Based on information gathered from the arrested men, further searches and arrests are expected in the coming days.