Excise dept. arrest four youths with 281 gm of suspected MDMA in two related cases in Kochi
Kochi Excise officials arrested four individuals for trafficking synthetic drugs, specifically MDMA, as part of an ongoing special drive in Kerala. The operation involved seizing significant quantities of contraband hidden in a vehicle, highlighting the use of interstate trafficking routes.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing challenge of synthetic drug distribution in India and the effectiveness of regional law enforcement crackdowns.
The Excise Department has arrested four youths with 281 gram of suspected MDMA from Kochi in two related cases, in one of the largest drug seizures as part of the ongoing Onam special drive in Keralam.
The arrested have been identified as — Varun Dev, 35, of Nedumbram, Thiruvalla; Vipin S. Kumar, 30, of Muthoor, Thiruvalla; Sidhique Kanjirapparambil, 27 of North Paravur and Finala Maria D’Rozario, 18, of Pachalam.
While Mr. Kanirapparambil and Ms. D’Rozario were nabbed from a luxury hotel at Kaloor recently with 49 gram of the suspected synthetic drug, the other two were arrested on Saturday (August 22, 2026) from Vyttila.
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