Kozhikode(Kerala) | The police on Wednesday said it will be analysing the huge financial transactions, ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs one crore, that have taken place in the accounts of the accused in the Vadakara MDMA case in which three BRC teachers under the SSK initiative have been arrested.
Kannur Range DIG K Karthick -- who has jurisdiction over Kannur, Kasaragod, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts -- said that huge financial transactions were seen in the bank accounts of the accused, though they had normal or small-time jobs.
Three teachers -- Keerthana, Kavya and Neeshma -- who worked at the Perambra Block Resource Centre (BRC) here, which functions under the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) initiative, have been arrested for allegedly being part of an MDMA trafficking ring.
Besides them, two others, including a delivery agent, have been arrested in the case, the DIG said.
He said that transactions of around Rs one crore had taken place in the account of the delivery agent.
By following the transactions, the police reached others who were allegedly part of the drug trafficking ring and many more are suspected to be involved in it, the officer said.
He said that the SIT was investigating the monetary transactions to find out who paid for the drugs, how much money has been collected so far and where it was all going.
Kozhikode Rural SP Merin Joseph said the arrested accused will be questioned to find out who else is part of the "network".
"It is not confined to these accused and we suspect more people are involved in it. They are under surveillance and in the coming days we can expect more arrests," she told reporters.
She said the police are analysing the recent financial transactions of the accused and they will be questioned to find out how long this network has been operating.
She also said that the accused were also salaried individuals from normal middle-class background, "but the transactions in their accounts are not matching their known sources of income".
The officer also said that the arrested accused are not the kingpins of the network.
She said that all of the arrested accused are friends and it has to be ascertained how and where they met each other.
Asked whether the accused have given drugs to any children, Joseph said that it has to be investigated, but the situation is "not alarming" currently.
She said that no complaints in that regard have been received from parents.
At the same time, she said that not everyone who had connections with the accused may be involved in the drug network.
"We will add them as accused only if we get evidence against them," Joseph said.
Meanwhile, state General Education Minsiter N Samsudheen told a TV channel that strict action will be taken against anyone from the department involved in such cases and the government was ready to make necessary legislation for that as it will not compromise its fight against drugs.
Neeshma was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) based on information gathered during the interrogation of Keerthana and Kavya.
The SIT was constituted by the Vadakara Rural Superintendent of Police after investigators received information suggesting the involvement of more people in the case.
The alleged involvement of the three educators came to light after the arrest of a man in possession of MDMA.
During the investigation, police found that the suspect had been sending messages to a Gulf-based phone number and would receive a QR code to make payments.
Police said that after the payment was confirmed, the suppliers sent the buyer a photograph of the location where the narcotics had been concealed for collection.
Investigators found that the QR code was linked to Keerthana's bank account.
Following her arrest, Keerthana allegedly disclosed Kavya's involvement in the operation.
