DYFI leader among four held with drugs in Idukki in Keralam

The Thodupuzha police, in Kerala, arrested four individuals involved in a gang dealing in synthetic drugs, including a Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) leader, on Wednesday around 4 a.m. near Edavetty. The arrested members were T.S. Shiyas, former DYFI Thodupuzha area secretary; Ashik, Nihan, and Arshid, all residents of Thodupuzha.

A shadow police team received a tip-off, enabling their swift action. Upon intercepting the suspects, officers used pepper spray, but the gang was subdued, and the police seized 18 grams of MDMA and 10 grams of hybrid ganja. Idukki District Police Chief A. Naseem stated that the arrested were part of an interstate gang, and an investigation into their network and links was underway.

Ten drug-related cases had been registered in the district in a single week. Shiyas, who had led anti-drug campaigns, was expelled from the DYFI and removed from his post after failing to attend committee meetings. Arshid was out on bail in a narcotics case, while Nihan had also been previously implicated in a drug-related offense.