- Police seized 35 kg of marijuana and arrested four West Bengal migrant workers in Perumbavoor
- The arrests were part of Operation Toofan, a statewide anti-narcotics drive in Kerala
- Marijuana was concealed in travel bags and transported by train and autorickshaw from West Bengal
Police seized 35 kilograms of marijuana and arrested four migrant workers from West Bengal in Kerala's Perumbavoor on Sunday.
The operation coincided with the time lakhs of migrant workers returned to the state. It is estimated that there are 35 lakh Bengali migrants in Kerala.
The police had prior information of large consignments of narcotics being supplied through migrant workers. The accused were identified as Ashibul Sheikh, Sandeep Mandal, Samrat Sheikh and Rakhibul Sheikh, all natives of West Bengal.
The arrests were made as part of the state-wide anti-narcotics drive, 'Operation Toofan', jointly carried out by the Ernakulam District DANSAF team, a special investigation squad led by the Perumbavoor police.
According to police, the contraband was concealed in small packets inside travel bags carried by the accused. The marijuana had allegedly been transported from West Bengal by train to Aluva before being shifted to Perumbavoor in two autorickshaws.
Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted the vehicles at Kunnuvazhi in Vazhakulam and conducted a search, leading to the seizure of the narcotic substance and the arrest of all four suspects.
Officials said the seized marijuana is estimated to have a market value of around Rs 10 lakh.
Preliminary investigation suggests the consignment was intended for distribution in Perumbavoor's Bhai Bazaar area, where large numbers of migrant workers gather, particularly on Sundays. Investigators suspect the accused were planning to sell the narcotics through local networks catering to migrant labourers.
The seizure comes amid intensified enforcement against drug trafficking in the Perumbavoor region. Police said substantial quantities of narcotic substances have been recovered from the area in recent days as part of the ongoing crackdown.
Authorities are now probing whether a larger interstate drug trafficking network was involved in the operation. Investigators are also examining the source of the contraband and the possibility of additional individuals being linked to the smuggling and distribution chain.
