The Ernakulam rural police arrested two West Bengal natives with five-and-a-half kilograms of ganja intended for sale on Thursday. The arrested persons were identified as Bapparaj Islam, 28, and Maimon Mandal, 28, from West Bengal. They were arrested by a team led by Muvattupuzha inspector Basil Thomas. The operation was conducted under the instructions of district police chief (Ernakulam rural) M Hemalatha as part of Operation D Hunt.
Police said three kilograms of ganja was seized while being brought for sale at Thrikkalathoor Pallithazham, and two-and-a-half kilograms was seized from Muvattupuzha Hostel Junction. Police were monitoring those selling drugs in the Muvattupuzha area. An investigation is ongoing regarding those who purchased drugs from them, under the supervision of DSP PM Baiju. The investigation team included SIs Sumitha SN, Rajesh KK, Sathyan PB, and Jayakumar PC, assistant sub-inspector Meeran CK, Jamal, senior CPOs Bibil Mohan, Saleem, Anas KA, Dhanesh B Nair, Suraj Kumar, Faisal MK, and Mahesh Kumar, and CPOs Sandeep Babu, Haris KH, Ranjith Rajan, Jiju, and Shan.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a migrant laborer who was selling drugs by using a chicken stall as a front was arrested by Perumbavoor police. The arrested person was identified as Khairul Islam, 39, a native of Mariya Gav, Assam. He was arrested by a special investigation team led by Perumbavoor ASP. According to police, drugs were being sold under the cover of a chicken shop in the Pathippalam area of Perumbavoor. The team seized 24 vials of heroin and 20 packets of cannabis from him. Following a tip-off, he was under surveillance by the team for some time. Heroin was being sold at a rate of Rs 1,000 per vial. The team included Perumbavoor ASP Shakti Singh Arya, inspector TM Sufi, sub-inspector PM Rasikh, ASI PA Abdul Manaf, and senior CPOs TA Afsal, Varghese T Venatt, and Benny Isaac.
