Drug case accused who escaped from train under custody after 10-Day manhunt

Kozhikode: A 38-year-old drug trafficking suspect from Mukkam, Kozhikode, who escaped from police custody while being transported to Delhi for evidence collection, was taken into custody after an extensive 10-day search spanning multiple states.

According to police sources, the accused, P Mohammed Haneefa, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday from a train near Kalaburagi in Karnataka. He is expected to be brought back to Kozhikode shortly.

Haneefa had been arrested on April 2 after police seized 2.8 kilograms of MDMA, a highly potent synthetic narcotic, from two locations linked to him in Mukkam. Investigators later uncovered additional drugs hidden at a rented house based on information obtained during questioning. A woman identified as Rayhanath, 45, from Beypore, was also arrested in connection with the case.

Police investigations revealed that the narcotics were allegedly sourced from Delhi. Haneefa was being taken there for further evidence collection when he managed to flee from a moving train on the night of May 22.

The escape occurred while a six-member Kerala Police team was escorting him aboard the Rajdhani Express Train. Around 11.30 pm, Haneefa reportedly requested permission to use the toilet on the train. While two officers accompanied him through the train compartment, he allegedly pushed past them and ran into an adjacent coach. Despite an immediate chase, officers were unable to catch him.

Authorities believe he either jumped from the train near Vadodara or shortly before it reached Surat in Gujarat. The incident caused considerable embarrassment for the Kerala Police, as the accused escaped while in official custody.

Following the escape, police launched a large-scale search operation across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and parts of Andhra Pradesh. The original escort team was joined by additional officers, including a special three-member unit led by Thiruvambady Sub-Inspector Jithesh.