Kallambalam CI Praiju told Onmanorama that Shaiju, the key suspect, had previously been booked in two other drug-related cases and was under police surveillance.

Kallambalam CI Praiju told Onmanorama that Shaiju, the key suspect, had previously been booked in two other drug-related cases and was under police surveillance.

Kallambalam CI Praiju told Onmanorama that Shaiju, the key suspect, had previously been booked in two other drug-related cases and was under police surveillance.

The Kallambalam police, along with the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF), seized 1,265 grams of MDMA and arrested four individuals on Thursday for allegedly smuggling the drug from Muscat through the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

Thiruvananthapuram Rural SP K S Sudharshan said the DANSAF team, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the group and took them into custody. The arrested individuals have been identified as Shaiju alias Sanju (41), V Unnikannan (39), R Prameen (35), and S Nandu (32).

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Kallambalam CI Praiju told Onmanorama that Shaiju, the key suspect, had previously been booked in two other drug-related cases and was under police surveillance. According to PTI, Shaiju, his family, and Nandu arrived in Thiruvananthapuram from Muscat on an Air India flight on Wednesday night.

While Shaiju and his family travelled in an Innova, their luggage was transported in a separate vehicle. Police intercepted both vehicles at Kallambalam junction and found the narcotics concealed inside a packet of dates. Officers said the market value of the seized MDMA is estimated to be as high as ₹2 crore.

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“We have information that Shiju has travelled to Muscat three times already this year, and further details regarding these trips are now being investigated,” Sudharshan said. Authorities are also investigating how the drugs passed through airport security without detection. “We will investigate whether Shaiju received any assistance from anyone at the airport,” Sudharshan added.

Additionally, police recovered 17 bottles of foreign liquor, allegedly brought through duty-free, and impounded both vehicles used in the smuggling operation. Officers also revealed that Shaiju, despite not holding a regular job, owns several high-end vehicles and is currently building a 4,000 sq ft residence. It is said that Shaiju had worked at a petrol pump in Oman, although police are yet to confirm this.
(With PTI Inputs)