Thiruvananthapuram: A former Santosh Trophy football player, Najeeb Khan, has been arrested for possession and alleged distribution of MDMA, excise officials said on Thursday.

The arrest was made by a team led by Circle Inspector Arun Ashok of the Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotic Special Squad in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to officials, Najeeb Khan was involved in selling MDMA through hotel networks when he was held. He is also a senior superintendent at Travancore Titanium Products Limited.

The arrest came during an inspection carried out as part of a special drive ahead of elections. Acting on a tip-off, the squad had discreetly deployed members at a hotel and kept the accused under surveillance before taking him into custody.

The officials said the accused used a mobile application to identify customers and deliver MDMA. Officials suspect the existence of a larger network behind the operation. It is also being probed whether prominent individuals were among his clients.

A total of 4 grams of MDMA was seized from his possession. Further investigation is underway, officials added.