SI arrested for stealing 87 grams of MDMA from evidence room

KOCHI: A young Sub-Inspector (SI), who was in charge of the police station under Operation Toofan, has been arrested for stealing 87 grams of MDMA from the evidence room of his own station.

The accused has been identified as Anas S. Thoufeeq (30), a native of Thiruvananthapuram and an SI at the Ernakulam Central Police Station.

The MDMA, seized in various cases, had been kept in the evidence room after the court granted permission for its destruction. The theft came to light on October 22, when a team led by Station House Officer (SHO) Aneesh Joy inspected the cupboard before handing over the seized drugs to the Kochi City Armed Reserve (AR) Camp. The packet containing the MDMA was found missing.

An examination of CCTV footage helped identify the person behind the theft. On the evening of October 18, Anas, who was then in charge as the station's senior SI, had collected the keys from the station writer and taken away the packet. He initially tried to evade the allegations. However, when he realised that he would be caught, he returned the stolen MDMA to the station in an attempt to avoid action. Following a report submitted by the SHO, the City Police Commissioner suspended him. His arrest followed soon after.