Operation Duster: Three, including woman, arrested for peddling drugs in Kochi

KOCHI: The Kochi City police on Saturday arrested three persons, including a woman on charges of peddling drugs. Muhammad Bilal, 32, hailing from Nellikunnu, Kasargod, Chinchu Mathew, 24 of Thalassery and Greeeshma, 23, belonging to Palluruthy here were arrested with several packets of MDMA, LSD stamps, ecstasy pills, hashish and ganja. The accused were netted following an operation conducted as part of Operation Duster launched by City Police Commissioner MP Dinesh against the drug mafia.

Officers said the preliminary inquiry indicated the trio are members of a Goa-based international drug racket. Bilal and Greeshma, who posed as married couple, had been residing at a rented house in Chilavannoor, and they used to sell the drugs mainly to those from the showbiz  industry here. The accused used to procure party drugs in huge volumes from Goa which were brought here by air. Bilal and Greeshma also used to provide the drugs to a couple of restaurant and ready-made shop owners.”A probe is on to trace the people who used to purchase drugs from them. Besides supplying drugs, they arranged facilities, including a party room, for facilitating  consumption of drugs.

“The party room, featuring disco lights and DJ music was completely sound proof to ensure people in the neighbourhood did not get wind of their business. The customers were offered rave party packages of various prices including a `25000 per person two-day package,” officers said.Chinchu provided ganja and hashish to Bilal and Greeshma. More than 500 gm of ganja was recovered from his possession when he was arrested from his flat at Kakkanad. He was arrested on the basis of the information provided by Bilal and Greeshma. Chinchu had earlier been arrested with 2kg of ganja.