Hashish oil, ganja worth Rs 12cr seized

Thiruvananthapuram: In a major drug haul, the officials of Kazhakkoottam excise range under Thiruvananthapuram Circle seized 11.5kg hashish oil and 2.5kg ganja that was being smuggled in a sports utility vehicle on Friday. The worth of the catch is estimated at around Rs 12 crore.
The officials also arrested three men in connection with the case. They were identified as Manu Wilson, 31, Anwar Sadath, 31, and Raj Mohan, 28. All three of them hailed from Ernakulam. Among the accused, Manu Wilson and Anwar Sadath are habitual offenders, having been involved in narcotic cases in the past too.
According to excise officials, the gang was intercepted and the contraband they were transporting was seized after intercepting their vehicle on National Highway 66 at Venpalavattom near Anayara. The accused told the officials that the hashish oil was meant to be handed over to a drug smuggler, who would export it to Maldives. The ganja was meant to be sold among local peddlers here.
Addressing media persons here shortly after the catch, excise commissioner Rishi Raj Singh said that the three accused were acting on the directions of one Biju from Nedumkandam in Idukki. The accused went to Andhra Pradesh, purchased the substance and was on their way to meet the agent in Thiruvananthapuram. The department had already received information about the movement of the accused and this helped in successfully nabbing them.
“We have also got valuable information about the smugglers, who were supposed to receive the hashish oil from the gang. A probe is on to nab them at the earliest,” the excise commissioner said.
It was a team led by excise circle inspector T Anikumar, excise inspectors G Krishnakumar and Pratheep Rao and assistant excise inspector T R Mukesh Kumar that made the catch. The excise commissioner has announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each for the four officers, which will be handed over during the next weekly crime conference of the department.
Besides the narcotic substances, the officials have also seized a sword and a car in which the gang was travelling.
“The sword was meant to be used in self-defence in case they were intercepted. However, they were high on ganja and could not resist when we pounced on them,” said an officer.