Cocaine worth Rs 16.55 lakh, international cartel connection; Seven including Malayali resort owner arrested

KOCHI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested seven individuals—including foreign nationals—linked to an international drug trafficking network. Among those arrested are three Keralites who were deported from the UAE to Kerala. Authorities seized 33.1 grams of cocaine, valued at Rs 16.55 lakh in the international market, from the group.

The individuals apprehended by the NCB's Kochi Zonal Unit are: Gurpreet Singh (Kapurthala, Punjab); Hamdan Ahmed (Beypore, Kozhikode); P. Aflah (Arakkinar, Kozhikode); Siddharth Damodar (a Keralite running a resort in Ooty); Arun Raj Kumar (a Tamil Nadu native settled in Bengaluru); Chisob Helen Anthony, alias Sonia (Nigeria); and Mufukare Vitalis Tadiswanashe (Zimbabwe).

Arun Raj Kumar, who works in the IT sector, is the mastermind behind the cocaine smuggling operation. He sources the drugs from foreign nationals and hands them over to intermediaries. Chisob Helen, who has been in India for ten years on a medical attendant visa, and Mufukare Vitalis, who has been in the country for two years on a student visa, are responsible for smuggling the drugs into India.

The drug ring was busted after Gurpreet Singh, Hamdan Ahmed, and Aflah were arrested at Feroke Railway Station on September 10 with 8.12 grams of cocaine. Following the statements given by the accused, the NCB arrested Siddharth Damodar.

Siddharth also acts as a middleman supplying cocaine to DJ parties in Kerala. The accused revealed that the narcotics were being sourced from Bengaluru. Following the arrest of Arun Rajkumar in Bengaluru, information was obtained regarding Mufukare Vitalis and Chisob Helen Anthony, who were responsible for bringing cocaine into India. They were taken into custody in Bengaluru with 24.98 grams of cocaine.

Siddharth Damodar, Hamdan Ahmed, and Aflah had previously been abroad. After being apprehended by UAE police for a drug-related offence, they were subsequently deported to India. It was during their time in prison that they met Gurpreet Singh and began distributing cocaine in India.