Drug dealer who slashed and injured an excise officer under arrest

• Woman who was involved in the drug deal also caught

KOCHI: The accused, who pointed a gun at an excise officer and hacked him, was arrested within 48 hours. Chinchu Mathew (30) a native of Thalassery is the accused who got arrested. Seena (26), a resident of Edappally, who was his partner in the drug deal and helped the accused to stay in hiding, was also arrested. They were caught when they came to take the LSD stamps from the flat where Chinchu stayed.

In the investigation here, 100 California 9 LSD stamps and the lethal ampoules containing lysergic acid used to boost it along with 100 grams of yellowmeth were recovered. This is the first time that the LSD stamp belonging to the 'California 9' category has been caught in such a bulk amount. Chinchu was bravely captured by the same team including Civil Excise Officer ND Tommy of City Metro Shadow, who was hacked while seizing drugs worth one and a half crores the other day.

It was on Saturday afternoon that Chinju held the excise officer at gunpoint and hacked him before escaping. The incident took place when he came to check the flat in Kakkanad following a tip-off. Chinju could not leave the city as there was a strong search for him going on. Then the Excise team, which was monitoring the place where he might be hiding, found him and the team led by Assistant Commissioner B Tenimon arrested him yesterday from Kakkanad Padampur. Sini came to the flat when the team was waiting for Chinju. At first, Sini said that she had come to take Chinchu's clothes. After detailed interrogation, a huge collection of drugs was unwrapped. Assistant Commissioner B Tenimon said that they have received clear information about the accomplices in the drug deal who are criminally connected and more arrests will be made in the coming days. He also stated that strong action will be taken against attacking and injuring an officer on duty.