Assam Native Suspected of Being Key Member of Heroin Smuggling Gang Arrested in Kerala

 An Assam native suspected of being the key member of a heroin trafficking gang in Perumbavoor area of Kerala has been arrested from Angamaly here during a raid conducted as part of the anti-drug drive 'Operation Toofan', police said on Thursday.

A special investigation team led by District Police Chief K S Sudarshan arrested Shafiqul Islam (38), a native of Nagaon in Assam, it said.

The police said that it had earlier arrested three migrant workers from Angamaly with 609 grams of heroin worth lakhs of rupees and in the subsequent investigation, Shafiqul was caught.

The three were allegedly smuggling drugs from Assam by car and had hidden the heroin, stored in soap boxes and pouches, in hidden compartments inside the vehicle, police said.

It was the first time that such a large haul of heroin was seized from the district, the police added.

It said that the accused, known as 'Dada' among drug dealers, had arrived in the state around 10 years ago and worked in many plywood companies before going into the scrap collection business.

Subsequently, he turned to drug trafficking, which was carried out under the garb of the scrap business, police said.

Following his arrest, the police said it found transactions of lakhs of rupees through his various accounts.

He also led a luxurious life, travelled between Assam and Kochi by air and rented houses in various parts of Ernakulam district away from public and police gaze, it said.

But his main area of operation was Perumbavoor, it added.

Giving details of his alleged drug operation, police said that the accused would buy a box of heroin from Assam for around Rs 30,000 and sell it in Kerala for Rs 80,000 to Rs one lakh.

He would also sell heroin in small bottles for the price of Rs 1,000 per bottle, it said.

Police said that it found hundreds of small bottles used to fill drugs in two sacks from the house he rented in Perumbavoor.