Thiruvananthapuram: A Malayali native was arrested by a squad of the Kerala Excise department near Nanguneri, close to Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, for possessing 180 kg of ganja.

According to police, the contraband was being transported by a private school teacher, identified as Brucelee, a native of Uchakkada, Thiruvananthapuram, from Andhra Pradesh. Despite his involvement in drug trafficking, Brucelee was not on the radar of the police or excise authorities. He also owns a house in Kollankodu, Tamil Nadu.  

Due to his teaching profession, Brucelee’s frequent travels between Andhra Pradesh and Kerala did not raise suspicion. He was allegedly associated with a known ganja dealer from Balaramapuram. Following his arrest, the main supplier went into hiding.  

The arrest of a youth with 6 kg of ganja has led the authorities to Brucelee. The excise officials later tracked his car from a Naxal-affected region in Andhra Pradesh and started closely monitoring it from Nagercoil.  

During the operation at Nanguneri, another vehicle carrying ganja managed to escape after detecting excise presence. However, Brucelee and his vehicle were intercepted, while other suspects abandoned their car and fled. 

The authorities warn that large-scale smugglers, who are not even listed in police or excise records, are active in Thiruvananthapuram district. With intensified crackdowns, several key suppliers have gone into hiding. While some major dealers, including a notorious Balaramapuram-based operator known as "Chakkara" and Neyyattinkara-based dealers, are currently in jail, many others remain at large.