Kerala Police have arrested five key accused in the Perumbavoor hybrid ganja case, uncovering what investigators describe as an international drug trafficking network that smuggled hybrid ganja into the state through Thailand.

The arrested are Abu Tahir (39), Harikrishnan (25), Sreejesh (41), Sanjay P (22), and Presjith (40), all natives of Palakkad. The prime accused, Abu Tahir, was arrested in Bengaluru, while the others were apprehended from different parts of Kerala by a special investigation team led by Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief K S Sudarshan.

According to police, the five are key members of an international narcotics syndicate that brought hybrid ganja into Kerala through couriers travelling from Thailand. Investigators said Abu Tahir and Harikrishnan allegedly arranged visas, flight tickets and payments for the couriers, who returned carrying the contraband. The consignments were then collected outside airports and distributed through a wider drug network.

Police have seized mobile phones, bank transaction records, foreign travel documents and other digital evidence from the accused as part of the investigation into the syndicate's operations within India and abroad.

The arrests are part of Operation Toofan, launched after the seizure of 17 kilograms of hybrid ganja from Njarakkal native Ayush (39) and his wife Anikha (30). Ayush was initially arrested on Wednesday while allegedly transporting 1.166 kg of hybrid ganja on a motorcycle at Kunnuvazhi. A subsequent search of the couple's apartment led to the recovery of another 16 kg of the contraband, following which Anikha was also arrested.

Police had earlier identified Ayush and Anikha as mid-level wholesale distributors in a larger narcotics network. The 17-kg haul was described as the largest drug seizure in the history of the Ernakulam Rural Police.

The investigation is being carried out under the supervision of Ernakulam Range DIG G H Yathish Chandra.

Hybrid ganja is a scientifically cultivated cannabis variant developed by cross-breeding different strains. It produces a stronger and longer-lasting intoxicating effect than conventional marijuana, making it a highly potent and expensive substance in the illegal drug market.