Kerala police arrested three migrant workers in Kalady on Saturday and seized 44 kilograms of cannabis allegedly smuggled from Odisha by car, officials said.
The three accused —identified as Rafiqul Islam (40), Abdul Qudooze (21), and Sahin Mandal (26)—are all natives of Murshidabad in West Bengal. They were apprehended in the Manickamangalam area near Kalady by a special investigation team acting on a tip-off, police officials added.
The three were intercepted in the Manickamangalam area near Kalady.
Police officials detailed the trafficking route – the trio purchased the cannabis in Odisha for about Rs 2,000 per kilogram. To evade detection, they transported the drugs through Andhra Pradesh, where they changed the car’s registration plate to a Kerala number. They planned to sell the contraband in Kerala for an a profit of up to Rs 27,000 per kilogram before returning to their base in West Bengal.
The drugs were reportedly concealed in a hidden compartment inside the vehicle, police said.
As per authorities, Rafiqul Islam, identified as the main accused, is a key link in the cannabis smuggling network into Kerala. He arrived in Kerala 25 years ago, initially working as a helper before moving into the labour supply business and ultimately drug trafficking. He was earlier arrested in 2012 in Kothamangalam in an assault case and is considered a key link in a cannabis smuggling network to Kerala, police said.
Investigations are currently underway to determine the exact source and supply chain of the contraband.
