Excise arrests man with nitrazepam tablets in Kochi
Excise personnel on Tuesday arrested a man reportedly with 58 nitrazepam tablets, a prescription drug for psychiatric ailments, weighing 30 grams.
The arrested is Rahul Ramesh, 30, of Thuthiyoor in Kakkanad. He was nabbed by a joint team of the State Excise Enforcement Squad, Excise Intelligence, and the Ernakulam City Excise Range. Five Phenergan ampules, sterling water, and syringes were also seized along with a smart phone and an autorickshaw allegedly used for drug peddling.
Unauthorised possession of drugs like nitrazepam in excess of 20 grams entails 10 years’ imprisonment and fine of up to ₹1 lakh. According to Excise officials, the accused used to sell a tablet worth only ₹4 for as much as ₹200.
The Excise had received information that youngsters were frequenting several spots at Thuthiyoor during late nights for buying drugs. The department elicited this information from a youngster who was arrested from Chittethukara near Kakkanad last week. He had told officials that he was given drugs by a person in autorickshaw near Thuthiyoor around midnight.
Following this, the Excise laid a trap in areas likely to be visited by the accused around midnight. His autorickshaw was stopped, and he was taken into custody after a struggle.
The arrested used to pick up potential clients in his autorickshaw in the guise of passengers. The exchange of drugs and money happened inside the autorickshaw after which they were dropped at the same spot from where they were picked up, officials said.
The Excise claimed to have received information about persons who supplied him drugs from his mobile phone. He reportedly confessed that several local youngsters, besides being his clients, had also helped him in drug peddling. More arrests are likely in the coming days.
“We will keep a close watch on those needlessly roaming around Thuthiyoor and nearby areas on two-wheelers during nights. We will beef up surveillance in Kakkanad in the coming days and intensify our enforcement,” said Enforcement Assistant Commissioner Jimmy Joseph.
Ernakulam Range Excise inspector Manoop V.P., State Excise Enforcement Squad preventive officer N.D. Tomy, Intelligence preventive officer N.G. Ajithkumar, Ernakulam Range preventive officer K.K Arun, and civil excise officer P. Padmagireeshan made the arrest.
The accused was produced in court and remanded.
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