Alleged drug kingpin in MDMA-cocaine bust worth ₹1.5 crore arrested in Kerala

The Kerala Police apprehended N. Abdul Saleem, allegedly the mastermind behind a drug-smuggling operation involving MDMA and cocaine worth approximately ₹1.5 crore, on Tuesday. Palakkad Town South police took Saleem into custody from his residence in Mannarkkad. Saleem is reported to be the primary organizer and financier of the drug-trafficking network.

The police seized the vehicles used in the operation during the arrest. The case unfolded when four individuals were apprehended at Olavakkode with MDMA, cocaine, LSD stamps, ecstasy tablets, hybrid cannabis, and brown sugar. Upon questioning these four, investigators were led to Saleem, who allegedly facilitated the transportation of the drugs from Bengaluru to Coimbatore and subsequently to Kerala.

District Police Chief A. Abdul Raashi revealed that Saleem had been involved in multiple similar cases in Palakkad and Coimbatore. The police also discovered that one of the accused, a B.Tech graduate, leveraged his technical skills to aid the operation by enabling communication via phones in flight mode. The investigation will delve into the origin of the drugs and explore potential involvement of others beyond Kerala.