Accused in synthetics drug possession case gets 22 years rigorous imprisonment and fine

KOTTAYAM: A man kept in preventive detention under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been sentenced to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh in a case related to possession of banned substances. The convicted person is Ashkar Ashraf (26), hailing from Erumeli. The second and third accused, Anwar Sha (23) and Afsal Aliyar (22), were found guilty of conspiracy and sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each, along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.

The incident related to the case took place on May 1, 2023. The accused were arrested from Pala by Kottayam Excise Enforcement & Anti-Narcotics Special Squad Circle Inspector Rajesh John and his team with 76.9366 grams of methamphetamine and 0.1558 milligrams (9 stamps) of LSD. Ashkar Ashraf, the first accused, had earlier been charged in a ganja case, released on bail, and was facing trial when he was caught again with synthetic drugs. He is the first person in the state to be charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and kept in preventive detention in Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail for drug trafficking.