Drug mafia leader held in Angamaly cannabis seizure case

Kochi: Ernakulam rural police arrested an alleged drug mafia leader in connection with the recent seizure of 62kg of cannabis, marking a significant breakthrough in the case.The accused, Abdul Jabbar, 46, also known as Ronaldo Jabbar, a native of Karumalloor in North Paravur, was taken into custody from a rented house in Erattupetta on Wednesday. Police said he was in hiding for weeks after evading arrest.According to police, Jabbar is a key figure in an interstate narcotics network involved in smuggling and large-scale distribution of cannabis. Contraband was reportedly sourced from states such as Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Andhra Pradesh and transported through intermediaries. Police sources said Jabbar is an accused in nearly 20 cases, many of them linked to narcotics offences.His arrest follows nearly three months of surveillance by district anti-narcotics special action force (Dansaf) under Ernakulam rural police. Officials said sustained tracking of the network's movements led to the breakthrough.The development comes a day after the arrest of Haneef, 38, of Kasaragod, who was intercepted in Angamaly while allegedly transporting cannabis in a luxury car. Police said Haneef procured the contraband from Odisha on Jabbar's instructions.The seized cannabis, packed in 31 packets, was concealed in a specially modified compartment behind the rear seat of the car. The vehicle was intercepted at TB Junction by Dansaf team in coordination with Angamaly police.The operation was led by district police chief K S Sudarshan, along with narcotic cell DSP J Umesh Kumar and Aluva DSP Babukuttan.Police said further investigations are under way to identify other members of the network and trace full extent of the drug trafficking operation.