Kalpetta: The District Anti Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) squad arrested a man on Thursday and seized 9.85 kg of ganja from his possession. The accused, Nellipparambil Anilkumar, alias Anees (50), a resident of Kalladi near Meppadi, allegedly sourced the substance from Karnataka.

Anilkumar was intercepted near the Kalpetta bus stand in the early hours of the day, carrying the ganja in a trolley bag. DANSAF Sub Inspector N V Harishkumar and Kalpetta Sub Inspector M Saji Shinob, under the guidance of DySP Joshy Jose, led the operation.

Police officials described Anilkumar as a seasoned criminal with a network of peddlers, distributing ganja and other narcotics across multiple districts in Kerala. He is also accused in various theft cases and has recently been released from prison. “He had been under close surveillance since his release from jail,” the police said.