Muslim Youth League (MYL) State general secretary P.K. Firoz has alleged that Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPI (M) Kerala unit secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, has close ties with Anoop Mohammed of Kochi, one of the gang members taken into custody in connection with Bengaluru-based celebrity drug racket.

At a news conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Firoz alleged that Anoop, who had started two restaurants in Bengaluru with the financial assistance of Mr. Bineesh Kodiyeri in 2013. And that both had taken part in night parties during the COVID-19 induced lock-down period, he alleged.

Mr. Firoz said that a comprehensive inquiry should be conducted into the alleged links of Mr. Bineesh Kodiyeri with the Bengaluru drug peddling racket and his call list details, especially on July 10, should be examined to ascertain the facts. It was on this day, gold smuggling case suspect Swapna Suresh was arrested by NIA team in Bengaluru, he said.

Last week , officers of the Narcotics Control Bureau had busted the racket that had been catering to the many people in the Kannada film industry. Ecstasy pills and LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide, a hallucinogenic drug) aka colloquially known as Acid were seized from a woman Anikha who was heading the racket from her flat at Doddagubbi.

Anoop was apprehended from a service apartment at Kalyan Nagar, east of Bengaluru. About 145 ecstasy tablets and ₹2.25 lakh were recovered from his flat. He had also connections with K.T. Rameez, a Malappuram-based businessman who was arrested in connection with the gold smuggling case, Mr. Firoz alleged.

Responding to the allegations of the MYL leader, Mr. Bineesh Kodiyeri told TV channels that he had maintained good relationships with Anoop since 2013. He had lent around ₹6 lakh for starting his hotel business.

He said that he had no knowledge that Anoop had links with the drug racket. Also he denied that he had attended the rave parties hosted by Anoop during the lockdown period.