'Test dose is free, can be bought even at midnight'; Drug peddlers 'Padayappa Brothers' arrested 

KOCHI: 'Padayappa Brothers', who sold narcotic Nitrazepam tablets throughout the district, has been finally caught by the Excise. Ernakulam natives Vishnuprasad (29) and Tommy George (35) were arrested. Two smartphones and Tommy's bike, which were used for drug dealing, were taken into excise custody. They were under excise surveillance following intelligence information.

Within a short time, Vishnu Prasad and Tommy George became the most notorious drug peddlers in the district. They sold pills under the code name 'Padayappa Brothers'. 50 pills were seized from Vishnuprasad and 80 pills from Tommy's possession. Vishnu was the first to be arrested by Excise near the underpass on the west side of Cheranellur signal when he came to sell drugs. He tried to dispose of the drugs and run away but was subdued. The details of Tommy George, the wholesale distributor, were revealed during the subsequent interrogation. Tommy George, who was waiting for his buyers near Pathalam ESI Junction, was caught red-handed. He was intoxicated during the arrest.

A team consisting of Special Squad CI M Sajeev Kumar, Inspector K P Pramod, Intelligence Preventive Officer N G Ajith Kumar, Preventive Officer M T Harris, City Metro Shadow CEO N D Tommy, Jayadevan and Vanitha CEO Anju Anandan took the accused into custody. The accused who were produced in the court were remanded.

The Padayappa brothers' main clients are students and young women staying in hostels in the city. Their method is to give free 'test dose' to first-time users. People including students are attracted to drugs by the misconception that if they take the pills, their eyes would get brighter and they could work more vigorously for a longer time.

The initial conclusion is that they were selling nitrazepam tablets obtained through triplicate prescription by smuggling them from Salem and Coimbatore. A pill worth Rs 6 was sold for Rs 100. It is after a long time that numerous nitrozepam pills are being seized in the district. Earlier, excise checks were tightened after the widespread purchase of such pills from medical stores using fake prescriptions.