Kochi: Drugs, worth Rs 11 crore, were seized and five people, including a woman, were arrested from a flat at Kakkanad in Kochi.
The drugs were seized during the raid jointly conducted by the Excise Enforcement Squad and the Customs Preventive Unit at the Marhaba apartment along the Meleppadam Road at Vazhakkala on Thursday. The drug, MDMA, was found from the apartment and surroundings during the search conducted in the morning and evening.
In the search carried out immediately after arresting the accused, only 84gm of MDMA could be found. Then after questioning them, a search was carried out again and 1.115kg drug was seized. The drugs would be worth Rs 11 crore, according to the Customs officials.
Kozhikode natives Mohammed Fawas, Sreemon, and Shabna, and Idukki native Mohammed Afsal and Mohammed Ajmal of Kasaragod were arrested. Two people, including a woman, who were with them were also taken into custody but were let off as they were found to have no links to the drugs.
In the search carried out in the morning, the drugs kept in the flat and car were found. And in the evening, drugs were found concealed near the flat. The car has been confiscated.
Several times earlier too, they had smuggled drugs in a similar manner, according to excise officials. The accused operated by taking flats on rent at various places in Ernakulam.
The search operation was conducted based on the information provided by circle inspector Krishna Kumar of the Excise Commissioner's special squad.
