Malappuram: The police busted a major ganja distribution network involving large number of students and arrested 48 persons in Edavannappara in Malappuram on Sunday. Among the arrested are key peddler Abdul Salam, 35, and 23 students from various schools and colleges in Malappuram and Kozhikode districts including College of Engineering and Technology of University of Calicut. The investigation launched by the Vazhakkad Police after nabbing two students from Edavannappara bus stand on suspicious circumstances on Friday led to the busting of the racket.
The police had detained Salam on Saturday and later let him off after confiscating his cell phone. Police in plainclothes followed him and nabbed around 50 men who tried to reach Salam for the contraband. Students from various schools and colleges in Manjeri, Kunnamangalam, Thenhippalam and other parts of the Malappuram and Kozhikode districts were regular customers of Salam, said B. Santhosh, sub inspector at Vazhakkad station.
The police said Edavannappara, a town on the Malappuram district border, was the centre of Salam’s illegal deals for long. He also kept the customers from the town at bay to avoid police surveillance. Salam hails from the neighbouring town Areekode. The parents of the arrested students were also called to the station which created a ruckus there with many of them bashing their offsprings for the offence.
