MALAPPURAM: The excise department may soon constitute a special investigation team to probe the thriving ganja smuggling business in various parts of the district in the wake of recent arrests of five peddlers from Wandoor and Manjeri. The arrested were part of an interstate ganja wholesaling gang based in Tamil Nadu having an extensive network of retailers in the district.
Investigating officers said one of them, Narayanan, 22, was a relative of Subrahmaniam, the alleged kingpin of a major smuggling cartel with extensive links throughout Malabar. Subramaniam who absconded after obtaining bail in another case is believed to be running the cartel from unknown destinations in the neighbouring state.
The police had spread its secret net to arrest Theni-based kingpin who had also used his wife Velmani to smuggle the contraband and was arrested a few months ago from Perinthalmanna in the district and now is in district prison, Kozhikode. During the questioning, Narayanan had admitted that he was working under Subramanian. On Friday, excise officials had seized 20 kg of ganja smuggled from Tamil Nadu meant for peddlers in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur districts.
“We have taken the case seriously as it is a major proof for the active presence of wholesalers in the area. A task force may soon be constituted to probe and bust the cartel,” said T. Anilkumar, circle inspector of excise department in Nilambur. The area has witnessed an alarming increase in the number of narcotic cases during the past year despite many joint raids and campaigns. Most of them smuggle the contraband in small quantities which help the peddlers to evade punishment. There were arrests on Saturday even after the busting of a major gang on the previous day, he said.
