Kochi rave party: Excise raids three hotels, arrests four

KOCHI: When the customs and excise officers raided three luxury hotels in Kochi, a few persons attending parties there ran out to escape. While four persons were arrested, it was found that as many as 100 persons, including women, took part in parties held at these hotels. Many arrived after registering through virtual invitations from organisers. Those who managed to give officers the slip would be picked up if they are found to have been on a high during the party, the excise said.

The department will book such people under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. “The excise department collected the whereabouts of those who attended the parties from the registration documents. They were directed to present themselves before officers,” said an investigating officer.

The collection of statements from these persons will begin from Monday, the excise said. Three including a DJ were arrested during a raid conducted jointly by the central excise and customs preventive unit and the state excise department last week. The raid, which has put the spotlight back on rave parties in Kochi, led to the recovery of psychotropic substances including MDMA, some unidentified pills suspected to be of psychotropic nature and dried ganja. An apparatus for smoking ganja was also seized from six youths.

The raids followed intelligence inputs received by the customs that a five-star hotel in Kochi would be hosting a DJ party to be attended by drug peddlers and youths. However, it was found that three other star hotels would also be conducting DJ parties and raids were carried out at these hotels too, an officer said.