Kerala Police Bust International Drug Network, Arrest Two Foreign Nationals

Kerala Police have arrested two foreign nationals suspected of being key operatives in an international drug trafficking network as part of the state's anti-narcotics campaign, Operation Toofan – The Narco Hunt , Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday.

A Nigerian national, Samuel Cliffson Ockfor , was arrested in Delhi in connection with a drug case registered in Pandalam, while Elsina Santan Susan , a foreign national, was apprehended in Bengaluru in a case linked to Pathanamthitta. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala described the arrests as a major breakthrough against international drug syndicates targeting youngsters.

Since the launch of the operation on June 2, police have registered 728 cases and arrested 795 people across the state. Authorities have seized narcotics worth around ₹60 lakh , including 625 grams of MDMA, 48 kg of cannabis, 136 grams of hashish oil, and 480 cannabis bidis .

To identify the source of narcotics and dismantle supply chains, Kerala Police have formed special investigation teams and established a dedicated Toofan Intelligence unit. The government has also intensified preventive measures, including a ban on the sale of tobacco products outside educational institutions and stricter monitoring around schools and colleges.

The arrests highlight growing concerns that international drug cartels are increasingly using India as part of larger trafficking networks , exploiting inter-state routes and local distribution channels to move narcotics. Law enforcement agencies have warned that transnational syndicates are becoming more sophisticated, making intelligence-sharing and coordinated policing essential to disrupting their operations.

Officials said public participation, stronger enforcement and improved intelligence gathering will remain key to Kerala's efforts to curb drug abuse and dismantle organised trafficking networks.