The drugs were being used to promote the party and were sold on demand
Psykovsky alias Vasily Markelov, DJ and singer from Russia held in Kochi. (Photo: DC)
Kochi: Renowned Russian singer and producer Psykovsky alias Vasily Markelov, 37, and six others were arrested for possession and use of banned drugs when the City Police raided a DJ party held at a five star hotel at Kundanoor late on Saturday. A team led by DCP Harishanker seized over 60 grams of the drugs including Ketamine, Marijuana, Hashish and Ganja.
Psykovsky, Kottayam natives Rahul Pratap, 26, and Sumeet Suresh, 24, Thrissur natives Nafuan Salam, 22, and Gautam Unnikrishnan, 25, and Vytilla native Sebastian Francis, 24, and Binu Gopalan, 27, hailing from Nayarambalam, were booked under non-bailable charges under the NDPS Act for possession of banned drugs.
“The raid was carried out around 9 pm and lasted till 1 am. The drugs were being used to promote the party and were being sold on demand. We recovered 3.5 grams of Ketamine and 57 grams of brown powder ‘Adventure One’ which tested positive for ingredients like Marijuana, Hashish and Ganja,” said Kochi DCP Harisankar.
Initially, three cops in plain clothes went to the DJ party held at Le Meridien Hotel as customers around 7 pmand verified the use of the drugs before the raid was conducted. “The DJ party was promoted through Facebook and WhatsApp and the participants need to buy tickets priced at Rs 1000 each. Of this, Rs 200 was meant for the organisers and the hotel while rest of the money went into the kitty of the DJ group,” the officer said.
‘Adventure One’, seized from Psykovsky, is believed to be a party drug taken for an enegry rush.” Preliminary investigations showed that the DJ had brought the drug packet, which had a price tag attached on it, from the open market outside India. The substance is consumed by mixing it with beer or any other form of liquor,” he said.
During interrogation, he told the police that he was unaware of the Indian laws regulating the consumption of drugs. The police, however, booked him under the Foreigner’s Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The city police has been monitoring dance and DJ parties for the past over a year after drugs were reportedly being used during such events. Recently actor Shine Tom Chacko and four others were arrested from a flat in Kadavantra for alleged use of cocaine.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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