Kochi: Two Excise officers have been suspended from service after they were arrested along with two others for stealing money and mobile phones from a migrant labour camp near Perumbavoor. Salim Yusuf (52), excise preventive officer, Kunnathunad and Sidharth Mekkilakkattil (35) of the excise commissioner squad, were suspended after they were arrested along with co-accused Manikandan Bilal (30) and Jibin (32). Manikandan is a history-sheeter booked in murder and narcotics cases registered at Edathala police station, and Jibin is his accomplice.

The four accused reached the labour camp at South Vazhakulam, a small town between Aluva and Perumbavoor, on Monday night pretending to be police officers. They illegally searched the premises and allegedly manhandled the workers staying there. The men grabbed Rs 56,000 and four mobile phones during the fake raid. 

The crime came to light after Johirul, an Assam native who lives in the camp, filed a complaint with the Thadiyittaparambu police. The police identified the accused based on the CCTV visuals showing them coming out of the camp. The police took into custody Salim, Sidharth and Manikandan by Tuesday noon. Jibin was nabbed in the evening. The police also seized the car in which the accused went to the camp.

An excise source said the two officials were found to be involved in similar acts earlier too and they had been warned by superiors. "Offences like gambling and sex trade are sometimes reported from areas where migrant labourers stay. There were instances of the arrested excise officials reaching such places, feigning to be police personnel and grabbing money from them. They were warned not to repeat such acts which defame the excise force," an officer said.