What began with the seizure of just 0.6 gram of MDMA in Kerala’s Kannur district eventually led police on a 2,000-km trail across multiple states and to the arrest of two foreign nationals in Delhi.
The investigation began in the first week of July when police arrested Rajinas in New Mahe with 0.6 gram of MDMA. During questioning, investigators identified Mohammad Sameel as a suspect.
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A search of Sameel’s house and vehicle on July 10 resulted in the recovery of 185 grams of MDMA, giving investigators a major lead into a suspected interstate drug network.
Police then examined phone records, financial transactions and other information linked to Sameel. Their investigation led them to Mujitaba, also known as “Tabu”, who police suspect was an important intermediary in the network.
According to investigators, the group used a system of designated drop points to move drug consignments. Suppliers and buyers allegedly avoided direct contact, with collectors receiving only the location details needed to pick up the packages.
Police traced Tabu to Bengaluru and arrested him as the investigation expanded beyond Kerala.
Information gathered during the probe was subsequently shared with Haryana Police. This led to the arrest of Arshad Ali in Gurugram, where police allegedly recovered around 800 grams of MDMA. Investigators described Ali as an associate of Tabu.
The investigation then led police to Abdul Rahman and Rishad, a native of Ernakulam. Police allege that the two assisted the network by arranging fake documents, SIM cards and mule bank accounts.
Investigators said the network regularly changed SIM cards and operated around 20 bank accounts. They also alleged that transactions worth crores of rupees were routed through these accounts.
With several leads pointing towards Delhi, a team comprising members of the Kannur DANSAF squad, the Thalassery ASP squad and Thalassery Police spent around 10 days in the national capital tracking the suspected network.
The operation eventually resulted in the arrest of 36-year-old Nigerian national Chinelo Lilian and 30-year-old Cameroon national Philomene Chancelin.
According to Kannur Police, the two women were allegedly involved in manufacturing and supplying MDMA from Delhi. Investigators suspect the drugs were subsequently transported to Kerala through intermediaries and parcel networks.
Kannur Range Deputy Inspector General of Police K Karthik said the two women had been running a dry fruit shop in Delhi for about a year. Police suspect the shop was being used as a cover for the alleged drug operation.
The investigation is continuing, with police attempting to identify and arrest what they describe as the main kingpin of the network.
Karthik said investigators had received information that live drug manufacturing was allegedly being demonstrated through video calls. He also described the involvement of foreign nationals in such networks as a wider challenge for law enforcement agencies.
The arrests come as Kerala Police intensifies Operation Toofan, an anti-drug campaign focused on tracing narcotics networks beyond local distributors and identifying their sources.
The state government has also formed a specialised Anti-Narcotics Investigation Team to investigate major cases involving interstate and international drug links.
The latest arrests mark a significant development in the case, which began with a small seizure in Kannur before investigators traced a suspected network stretching across several states.
