Fort Kochi Police arrested Arfaz, a key intermediary in the city’s drug trade, in connection with a seizure of 17 grams of MDMA in August 2024. Arfaz, a resident of Vadayar, Thalayolaparambu, was apprehended after extensive investigations into the drug trafficking network, which led to the arrest of several individuals, including Safeer, Taufiq, Irfan, Sharon, and Tharun.
The case began with the arrest of Jershon, a Fort Kochi native, who was caught in possession of the MDMA. Following this, investigators discovered that Arfaz played a pivotal role as an intermediary for Irfan, helping procure drugs and facilitating their sale.
Arfaz operated under the guise of a freelance consultancy, claiming to assist students in gaining admissions to various courses in Bengaluru. However, he was running the consultancy from a flat, which he used to facilitate drug deals. Police investigations revealed that students who enrolled in courses through his consultancy were often involved in drug transactions.
Further investigations uncovered a connection between Arfaz and several African nationals, who were reportedly visiting his flat. This led to a deeper probe, revealing that Arfaz provided contact information for African nationals to drug buyers and earned hefty commissions in exchange.
Although Fort Kochi police initially went to Bengaluru to capture Arfaz, he evaded arrest. However, following a tip-off that Arfaz would attend a friend’s wedding in Muvattupuzha, police managed to apprehend him with the help of the Muvattupuzha police.
Currently, Safeer, Irfan, and Taufiq are detained under the PIT NDPS Act at Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail. Police are continuing their investigations to dismantle the rest of the drug network operating in the area.
