Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has formed an Anti-Narcotics Investigation Team to strengthen the ongoing anti-drug drive, Operation Toofan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday.

The new team will investigate high-value drug cases involving interstate and international links and will operate through three units based in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode.

A government order has been issued and the team has already started functioning, Chennithala said at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.

Three units to investigate high-value drug cases

Inspector General (North Range) Putta Vimaladitya, the nodal officer for Operation Toofan, will head the new investigation team.

Each of the three units will have a deputy superintendent of police, two circle inspectors, two sub-inspectors, 10 civil police officers, an assistant civil police officer and an assistant sub-inspector.
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Over 10,900 cases registered under Operation Toofan

Chennithala said 10,918 cases had been registered and 11,776 people arrested across the state as part of Operation Toofan as of 10 am on Friday.

The seizures so far include 23.925 kg of MDMA, 1,457 kg of cannabis, 5.32 grams of hashish oil, 707 grams of brown sugar, 530 grams of heroin, 27.6 grams of cocaine and 2,398 cannabis plants.

₹10 crore MDMA haul in Coimbatore

The minister also referred to the recent seizure of 13 kg of MDMA, estimated to be worth around ₹10 crore, in Coimbatore, describing it as the biggest drug haul involving the state.

Four alleged key members of the drug network have been arrested in connection with the case. They were identified as Malappuram native Muhammed Haris, Wayanad native Akhil Joy (32), alias 'Kingmaker', Palakkad native Salahudeen and Karthik, a native of Udagamandalam in Tamil Nadu.

Karthik was arrested from Chennai, while the other three were apprehended from hideouts in Bihar and Chennai, Chennithala said.

The accused are allegedly involved in cases related to murder, robbery and house-breaking, he said.
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Accused tracked across multiple states

The arrests were made by a special investigation team led by Malappuram Superintendent of Police Chaitra Theresa John, along with the Malappuram and Kannur District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force teams.

According to Chennithala, the accused had remained in hiding across around 10 states and avoided using mobile phones. They were tracked down following a week-long covert operation.

The investigation team conducted searches at locations in Delhi, Noida, Kolkata, Bihar and Chennai. Information provided by the Kannur City District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force team also helped the investigation, he said.

PTI