KOZHIKODE: The main accused, who was absconding for a year in the parallel telephone exchange case, has been arrested. PP Shabeer, a native of Chalapuram, was arrested by the Crime Branch team led by SI Pavithran at Kurichyar Mala junction on Friday night. Sources said that Shabeer had reached the area to visit a resort allegedly owned by him.

Shabeer was caught after an investigation that lasted for several months. Police had issued a lookout notice for Shabeer. Treasonable transactions are suspected in the parallel telephone exchange case. The crime branch team has found that the accused had received Rs 46 crore in their accounts. Therefore, the crime branch has recommended the state police chief to hand over the case to ED. Apart from Kozhikode, parallel exchanges were also found to be operating in Malappuram, Koratti, Kochi, Delhi, Noida, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.