34kg of ganja seized in two busts in Ernakulam

Kochi: After a brief lull, drug traffickers appear to be back in action in Ernakulam, with nearly 34kg of ganja seized in two separate busts on Sunday.A special investigation team led by Perumbavoor ASP and Kuruppampady police arrested two West Bengal natives with 18kg of ganja. Arrested persons were identified as Khalil Mandal, 41, and S K Sameem, 26, natives of Murshidabad, West Bengal.Based on confidential information received by district police chief M Hemalatha, they were taken into custody while awaiting customers near a bar in Odakkali Panichayam area. Sameem brought the ganja from Bengal by train on Saturday morning. Mandal previously worked as a construction labourer in Panichayam area. They were selling the cannabis at a rate of Rs 25,000 per kilogram, said police.Police have started investigating those who came to purchase ganja from them. Investigation team included Perumbavoor ASP Shakti Singh Arya, inspector V M Kurson, SI Ibrahimkutty, ASI P A Abdul Manaf and senior CPOs Varghese T Venatt, T A Afsal, Benny Isaac, E M Rajesh Arun and Jijo.Meanwhile, Kochi city police apprehended two West Bengal natives with 16kg of ganja near FACT in Eloor. Arrested individuals were identified as Afsal Hussain, 24, of Sibnarnagar, West Bengal, and Rony Sekh, 19, of Sagarpara, West Bengal.Acting on a tip-off received by city commissioner Putta Vimaladitya, the operation was conducted under the supervision of DCP Ashwathi Jiji and Juvenapudi Mahesh. Narcotics cell, led by ACP Abdul Salam, along with Dansaf SI and team members, seized 16.68kg of cannabis from the accused. Ganja was packed tightly in two travel bags. The suspects, who were coming from West Bengal, procured the cannabis from Odisha, brought it to Angamaly, and were caught while transporting it to Eloor FACT area, said police.Accused used to distribute ganja to dealers in Eloor, Kalamassery, Fort Kochi and Ernakulam North areas. Investigations are ongoing to determine source of the cannabis and whether other suspects are involved, said police.