Kochi Police have detained a 22-year-old man from West Bengal with 30 kg of cannabis in Kaloor, while a separate six-kilogram seizure was reported at Aluva railway station, highlighting the use of interstate train routes to move narcotics into Kerala.
Abdul Hai Molla, a resident of Murshidabad in West Bengal, was taken into custody near the Milma godown on KBM Avenue Road in Pottakkuzhi, Kaloor, on Wednesday night, according to the Kochi City Anti-Narcotics Cell. Police said he was waiting to hand over the cannabis when officers intercepted him.
The contraband was concealed in a trolley bag in two plastic packages weighing 15.188 kg and 15.125 kg. The City DANSAF team estimated its retail value at around Rs 50 lakh. Police said the cannabis had been cultivated in Odisha and was brought to Kochi for delivery to wholesale suppliers.
According to the police account, Molla purchased the cannabis in Odisha, travelled by train to Vijayawada and then boarded another train to Ernakulam. After getting off at Ernakulam Junction railway station, he travelled to Pottakkuzhi, where the alleged handover was expected to take place.
Police said the seizure has provided important information about cannabis suppliers operating in Kochi. They also described Molla as one of the key individuals involved in transporting cannabis from Odisha to Kerala. The accused and alleged Kochi-based intermediaries had reportedly been under police surveillance for some time.
The investigation is being conducted under the leadership of Ananthalal, assistant commissioner of police with the Kochi City Anti-Narcotics Cell. Police said cannabis purchased at a relatively low price in Odisha is supplied to Kerala-based wholesalers at a substantially higher price, generating large sums for those involved.
A separate seizure was reported shortly after the Shalimar Express from West Bengal left Aluva railway station. The Railway Protection Force’s Crime Intelligence team found six kilograms of cannabis on the platform during an inspection. The seized material was estimated to be worth Rs 3 lakh.
RPF officers said the cannabis was believed to have been abandoned after those carrying it noticed the inspection team. The operation was led by Crime Intelligence Inspector A.J. Jipin, Sub-Inspector Praise Mathew and Assistant Sub-Inspectors Sijo Xavier and Vijayakumar. Officers G. Vipin, S.V. Jose, Nikhil and Manoj were also part of the investigation team.
The two seizures place railway stations and train-linked distribution routes at the centre of the current investigation. Kochi Police and the RPF are continuing inquiries into the suspected suppliers, recipients and movement of the seized cannabis.
