A 40-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday after police recovered 64 grams of MDMA allegedly concealed inside his body in an attempt to smuggle the synthetic drug into Kerala. The accused was identified as Saneeshkumar, a native of Kozhikode.

He was apprehended by a joint team of the District Anti-Narcotics Squad and Sulthan Bathery police during a vehicle inspection at Kottakkunnu. Acting on a tip-off that a large quantity of MDMA was being smuggled from Karnataka into Kerala, police intercepted a Kozhikode-bound KSRTC bus and took the suspect into custody.

During questioning, officers became suspicious and shifted him to the Government Taluk Hospital, Sulthan Bathery, for medical examination. A body scan reportedly revealed the presence of three packets concealed inside his body (inserted into the anus).

The accused was subsequently transferred to Government Medical College Hospital, Mananthavady, where the packets were retrieved through medical procedures. Police said the packets contained a total of 64 grams of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

Investigators suspect that Saneeshkumar may have been acting as a drug carrier and could have used similar methods in the past to evade detection. He is being questioned to determine whether he is linked to a larger drug-smuggling network or was operating independently.

The arrest was made as part of "Thoofan – The Narco Hunt," an anti-narcotics campaign under which police have intensified surveillance along border regions and in towns across the district.

According to police, drug traffickers have increasingly altered their methods to avoid detection at border checkpoints. Instead of crossing through regular check-posts, some reportedly disembark near border areas and use local transport to reach their destinations. Others attempt to pass through checkpoints disguised as tourists or sightseeing passengers.

Police suspect the accused may have used a similar route to enter Kerala while avoiding scrutiny at border check-posts.

Officials also highlighted the serious health risks associated with concealing narcotics inside the body. Medical experts warn that if a packet ruptures internally, a large quantity of the drug could be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, potentially leading to severe poisoning, hyperthermia, organ failure or death. Concealed packets can also cause internal injuries, bleeding, infection and intestinal obstruction.

Saneeshkumar will be produced before the Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court after the completion of legal formalities.

Police said this is the first case reported in Wayanad district in which MDMA was allegedly smuggled by concealing it inside the body.

Similar cases have been reported elsewhere in Kerala. In Kollam, police previously arrested a man who allegedly attempted to smuggle 107 grams of MDMA concealed internally, while in Thiruvananthapuram, a 50-year-old man was arrested after scans reportedly revealed more than 100 grams of the drug hidden inside his body. A woman was also arrested in Kollam in a similar case last year.