Thiruvananthapuram:
The Kerala Excise department seized 125 grams of MDMA hidden inside the stereo system of a car carrying four adults and an eight-year-old child in Thiruvananthapuram late Tuesday night. Officials said the bust, under Operation Thunder, points to the increasing use of women and families as a cover for drug trafficking
The Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotic Special Squad of Thiruvananthapuram intercepted the car around 11 pm in the Balaramapuram area following specific intelligence that MDMA was being transported from Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram.
Four people, Kiran, 35, Akshay, 27, Beena, 55, and Sandhya, 18, were arrested.
Despite having precise information about the consignment, officers initially failed to locate the drugs. A search lasting nearly 30 minutes finally led them to the car’s stereo system, where 125 grams of MDMA was found concealed.
Excise officials described it as one of the significant recent seizures of the synthetic drug in Thiruvananthapuram.
Officials said Kiran had been on the enforcement radar as a major suspected drug trafficker in the capital district but had not previously been caught in a narcotics seizure. The latest arrest is expected to help investigators identify people further up and down the supply chain.
What has particularly concerned investigators is the presence of two women and an eight-year-old child in the vehicle.
According to Excise officials, Beena is Kiran’s mother, while Sandhya, 18, is his girlfriend. Officials said their preliminary investigation indicated that both women were aware of the drug trafficking operation and had an active role in it. The child, Kiran’s daughter from his first wife, was handed over to relatives.
Excise Assistant Commissioner Manoj R said drug networks were increasingly using people who were less likely to attract the attention of enforcement agencies.
“We find the most unsuspecting people now being involved in trafficking,” he said.
Officials said the presence of women and children could make a vehicle appear to be carrying a family on an ordinary journey, reducing the chances of suspicion during routine checks. The Balaramapuram interception, they said, was possible because officers had received specific intelligence about the vehicle and the consignment.
Hirosh VR, Circle Inspector of the Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotic Special Squad, said the accuracy of the intelligence was crucial to the seizure, particularly because of the manner in which the MDMA had been concealed.
Investigators are now examining call records, phones and other digital data recovered from the accused to trace the source of the MDMA and identify those who were allegedly buying drugs from the network in Thiruvananthapuram.
Excise officials said the investigation could lead them to larger traffickers operating in the capital district.
The seizure has also led to increased surveillance ahead of the Onam festival season, with enforcement agencies keeping a closer watch on routes used to bring synthetic drugs into Kerala from neighbouring states.
Officials say recent cases are also showing a change in the profile of people being used in the drug trade, with women increasingly suspected of financing, transporting or fronting trafficking operations.
For the Excise, the Balaramapuram seizure is therefore significant not merely for the quantity of MDMA recovered. Investigators believe the case could provide a crucial window into how drug networks are changing their methods to move synthetic narcotics into Kerala without attracting attention.
