Key operator of MDMA trafficking network arrested in U.P.
Alleged interstate drug kingpin was traced to a high-security Greater Noida apartment complex after months on the run. He was wanted in connection with the seizure of nearly 500 g of the synthetic drug from an ambulance at Vaniyambpara on May 26
A 37-year-old man, Riyas alias Kallu Riyas, has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly being a key operator in an inter-State MDMA trafficking network. The arrest took place in Greater Noida, according to the police report. Riyas was wanted in connection with the seizure of nearly 500 grams of MDMA from an ambulance in Thrissur on May 26.
Two other individuals travelling in the vehicle were also arrested. Interrogation of the two suspects led investigators to an inter-State drug network operating from Bengaluru, supplying MDMA to various parts of Kerala. Riyas had allegedly been coordinating the movement of drugs from Bengaluru and had fled the city after the police intercepted the ambulance consignment.
He was reportedly avoiding the use of mobile phones and moving between different States to evade detection. The police team traced Riyas to a large residential complex in Greater Noida, which has around 2,600 flats and nearly 150 security personnel. The team waited for an opportunity when Riyas stepped outside his flat, which commanded a monthly rent of around ₹50,000.
The arrested man was produced before a court in Uttar Pradesh. The police operation to apprehend Riyas had been ongoing for months, as he was suspected of being involved in the movement of drugs worth several crores of rupees through different routes into Kerala.
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