Thiruvananthapuram | Keralam has constituted an Anti-Narcotics Investigation Team to strengthen the ongoing anti-drug drive, Operation Toofan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference here, Chennithala said the new team would investigate high-value drug cases having interstate and international links and would function through three units based in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode.
A government order has been issued in this regard, and the new team began functioning, he said.
The team has been constituted as part of efforts to intensify Operation Toofan, the minister said.
Inspector General (North Range) Putta Vimaladitya, the nodal officer of Operation Toofan, would head the new investigation team, he said.
Each unit would comprise a deputy superintendent of police, two circle inspectors, two SIs, 10 civil police officers, an assistant civil police officer and an assistant SI, he said.
As part of Operation Toofan, 10,918 cases have been registered and 11,776 people arrested in the state so far, Chennithala said, adding that the figures were recorded till 10 am on Friday.
He said the seizures comprised 23.925 kg of MDMA, 1,457 kg of cannabis, 5.32 grams of hashish oil, 707 grams of brown sugar, 530 grams of heroin, 27.6 grams of cocaine and 2,398 cannabis plants.
The minister referred to the recent seizure of 13 kg of MDMA, valued at around Rs 10 crore, in Coimbatore, describing it as the biggest drug haul involving the state.
Four alleged key members of the drug network-Malappuram native Muhammed Haris, Wayanad native Akhil Joy (32), who is known as 'Kingmaker', Palakkad native Salahudeen and Tamil Nadu's Udagamandalam native Karthik-have been arrested in connection with the case, he said.
Karthik was arrested from Chennai, while the others were apprehended from hideouts in Bihar and Chennai, Chennithala said.
The accused are allegedly involved in cases of murder, robbery and house-breaking, he said.
The arrests were made by a special investigation team led by Malappuram Superintendent of Police Chaitra Theresa John, along with the Malappuram and Kannur District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force teams.
The accused, who allegedly remained in hiding across around 10 states without using mobile phones, were tracked down following a week-long covert operation, the minister said.
The investigation team conducted searches at locations in Delhi, Noida, Kolkata, Bihar and Chennai, while information provided by the Kannur City DANSAF team also helped in the probe, he added.