Kochi drug syndicate busted: Woman airport employee among three apprehended with MDMA

KOCHI: The Ernakulam Excise Department has dismantled a major synthetic drug distribution network, arresting three individuals, including a young woman and airport ground crew members. The racket was reportedly spearheaded by a former IT professional.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Lari John Thattil (36), a native of Ollur in Thrissur; Eyvin P. Vincent (26), from Mukundapuram, Manavalassery; and Nikhil Peter (31), a resident of Korambadam in Kadamakkudy. A fourth suspect, Muhammad Niyas, managed to evade the authorities during the raid and remains at large.

Acting on a tip-off received during 'Operation Toofan,' an excise team conducted a pre-dawn raid on Friday at the '88 Stay In' apartment complex located in Amrita Nagar, Cheranallur. The suspects were operating their illicit business from a first-floor apartment.

During the operation, officers seized 110.73 grams of MDMA, valued at approximately ₹3.30 lakhs in the illicit market. Additionally, the team confiscated ₹1.85 lakhs in cash, believed to be drug proceeds, along with a Honda City sedan utilised for transporting the contraband.

Investigations revealed that Lari John, a former Infopark employee and IT professional, led the operation by sourcing the synthetic drugs directly from Bengaluru. The network allegedly utilised the credentials of its members to facilitate their operations. Eyvin is currently employed as ground staff at the Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery, while Nikhil holds a similar position at the Delhi International Airport.

According to sources within the Excise Department, the syndicate had been actively distributing narcotics across the region for nearly two years. Officials also noted that Lari John had previously been terminated from his position at Infopark due to his involvement in drug-related activities, after which he shifted his base of operations to Bengaluru to expand the network.

The successful raid was executed by a team led by Excise Inspector Abhiraj, alongside Women Civil Excise Officer V.B. Raseena, and officers Amaldev, Padma Gireeshan, Ashkar Sabu, and Vishnukumar. The three accused were produced before the court following a medical examination and have been remanded to judicial custody. A manhunt is underway to apprehend the fleeing suspect, Muhammad Niyas.