In a significant drug bust, Ernakulam rural police arrested three Assam natives with 65g of heroin at Nedumthode Junction. The arrested individuals were identified as Abdul Bashar (30), Beech Milan (58), and Rustam Ali (22), all residents of Nagaon.
The arrest was made following a tip-off to district police chief M Hemalatha, which led to a special investigation team under the leadership of Perumbavoor ASP. Acting on the information, the team intercepted the accused while they were travelling in an autorickshaw from Aluva towards Allapra, carrying the contraband. The police discovered six boxes of heroin, cleverly hidden inside soap boxes.
Abdul Bashar is believed to be the primary link in the heroin smuggling network, facilitating the shipment of heroin from Assam to Kerala. According to the police, Bashar had been under surveillance for some time. He worked as a contractor at a plywood company in Allapra and used this job as a front for his drug trafficking activities. Bashar, known by the alias Bhandari, would purchase heroin boxes for approximately Rs 30,000 and then sell them in smaller containers at Rs 1,000 each.
The police had previously caught Bashar with nine containers of heroin a month ago. Authorities believe he played a central role in smuggling significant amounts of narcotics into the region.
The investigation team, including Perumbavoor ASP Shakti Singh Arya, Inspector T M Sufi, SIs Rince M Thomas and Subhash Thankappan, and other officers, are continuing their investigation into the smuggling network. The police action is seen as a major step in curbing the spread of narcotics in the region.
