In one of the biggest drug hauls during the pandemic time, an Excise squad seized 66 kg of ganja and arrested four persons during a raid at the State border at Nadupuni near here on Tuesday.
The ganja was estimated to fetch ₹75 lakh. It was seized from a lorry and a car. Excise officials said that the ganja was hidden under sacks of rice illegally being brought to Kerala.
Deputy Excise Commissioner Shaji S. Rajan said that the Excise squad had intensified vigil at Walayar, Gopalapuram, Meenakshipuram, Nadupuni, and Govindapuram checkposts in the wake of intelligence reports that the drug flow into the State had increased in recent weeks.
P.K. Satheesh, circle inspector with Excise narcotic special squad, led the raid.
Hakeem from Alathur, Joseph Wilsom from Thrissur, Lokesh from Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, and Malai Chami from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, were arrested.
Excise officers A. Shoukathali, Shiju Joseph, D. Meghnath, S. Mansoor Ali, Vellakutty, T.S. Anil Kumar, S. Rajesh, Akhil, A. Biju, Dileep, Ashraf Ali, Radhakrishnan, and Rahul R. Mannath took part in the raid.