Third teacher arrested in Kozhikode narcotics case; probe widens

Kozhikode: The narcotics case being investigated by the Special Investigation Team  (SIT) of Kozhikode rural police got even bigger on Tuesday with the arrest of a third teacher of Perambra Block Resource Centre (BRC), reinforcing the police suspicion that more educators could be linked to the drug network.

The arrested teacher, V P Neeshma, 30, a native of Avala Kuttoth, is a special educator at the autism centre under the Perambra BRC. Her arrest comes days after police arrested physical education teacher Keerthana, who was handling classes at Ramallur GLP School and Vrindavan AUP School on Chembra Road, and special educator K Kavya attached to the autism centre functioning at Cheruvaloor GLP School. Keerthana and Kavya have already been dismissed from service by the General Education Department.

The SIT, constituted by Kozhikode Rural Police to investigate the case, had earlier indicated that the probe would examine whether more teachers were involved in the alleged narcotics distribution network. Investigators are also probing the source of the narcotic substances, the financial trail, and whether the accused were part of a larger network.

With the latest arrest, the number of teachers arrested in the case has risen to three, intensifying concerns over the infiltration of narcotics into the education sector. Police said the investigation was continuing and that more arrests were not ruled out.

Vatakara Inspector A V Dinesh said the SIT had confirmed that all three teachers were regular users of synthetic drugs and said the investigation would focus on tracing the source of the MDMA supplied to them. Earlier, investigators had revealed that the teachers allegedly used an Instagram account to canvas customers for the narcotics trade.

The investigation into the alleged drug network involving the teachers began with the recent arrest of a man found in possession of MDMA in Kozhikode. During interrogation, he reportedly told the police that narcotics could be ordered through a contact number based in the Gulf. According to investigators, buyers had to send a message to that number, after which a QR code was shared for payment.

Once the payment was confirmed, the dealers would send the buyer a photograph of the location where the drugs had been concealed for collection. Police said the financial trail led them to the QR code, which was linked to Keerthana's bank account, ultimately leading investigators to the three teachers.

Investigators also found that the teachers allegedly received the amount through online transactions into their bank accounts for each order and arranged the delivery of narcotics through other individuals. The probe revealed financial transactions worth lakhs through their bank accounts. According to police, Keerthana's account received around ₹14 lakh over the past year, while Kavya's account recorded deposits of about ₹9 lakh within five months.

Although they earned only around ₹12,000 per month as contract staff at the Block Resource Centre (BRC), investigators found that they maintained a lifestyle far more luxurious than their known income could support. Police suspect that a friend in Mangaluru introduced them to the narcotics network.

As part of the investigation, police are also examining details of several trips made by Kavya and Keerthana to Bengaluru. Investigators have further learned that Kavya recently purchased a new car and are verifying the vehicle's documents as well as the source of the funds used to buy it.