Kasaragod: A Malappuram man arrested near an IHRD college in Kumbla with what police initially described as a commercial quantity of MDMA has been sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹20,000, after forensic analysis identified the seized substance as methamphetamine, attracting a different provision under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Kasaragod Additional Sessions Court-II convicted Noushad Ali P E (44), a native of Kannamangalam in Malappuram district, for possessing 11.65 grams of methamphetamine. The judge, Ramu Ramesh Chandra Bhanu, also ordered him to undergo an additional two months of rigorous imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.

The case dates back to August 5, 2022, when a Kumbla police team led by Sub-Inspector Aneesh V K arrested Noushad near IHRD College of Applied Science, Kumbla, and seized 11.65 grams of a white powder.

Police initially treated the substance as MDMA, a popular party drug, and registered the case under Section 22(c) of the NDPS Act, which deals with commercial quantities of psychotropic substances.

Had the seized substance been MDMA, the quantity would have crossed the 10-gram commercial quantity threshold, attracting 10 to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, besides a fine ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹ 2 lakh under the NDPS Act.

However, after the charge sheet was filed, the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), Kannur, identified the seized substance as methamphetamine, not MDMA, said government pleader Adv Chandramohan G.

Although methamphetamine is widely considered more addictive than MDMA, the NDPS Act classifies it differently. While more than 10 grams of MDMA is treated as a commercial quantity, methamphetamine is considered a commercial quantity only from 50 grams onwards. Possessing more than 2 grams of meth but less than 50 grams falls under the intermediate category, punishable under Section 22(b) with up to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh.

Taking note of the forensic report, the trial court altered the charge from Section 22(c) to Section 22(b) of the NDPS Act, before convicting the accused and sentencing him to rigorous imprisonment of one year and a ₹20,000 fine, said the government pleader.

The then Kumbla inspector P Pramod investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet to the court. The one-year sentence comes as Kerala Police project Operation Toofan as a major crackdown on the state's narcotics network.