Over 12 Kg MDMA Worth Rs 10 Crore Seized In Coimbatore, 3 Held

Over 12 kg of MDMA valued at around Rs 10 crore was seized from a vehicle in Coimbatore and three people were arrested in a major drug trafficking investigation linked to Kerala, police said on Saturday.

Malappuram District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John said the arrests followed an investigation into a 97 gram MDMA seizure registered at Manjeri police station on August 6. Six people were arrested in that case.

Based on information obtained from those arrested, police traced the suspected source of the drugs to Coimbatore in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. A police team arrested three people there on Friday. They were staying at a rented lodge, while the 12 kg-plus MDMA consignment was recovered from their vehicle. The three were produced before a court and remanded in custody on Saturday.

John described the seizure as one of the largest MDMA seizures in Kerala in recent years. Police suspect the arrested men were key members of a network supplying MDMA to different parts of Kerala and maintaining contacts across the state.

Police have identified additional people allegedly linked to the network and are working to trace them. The investigation will also examine whether others were operating above the three arrested suspects.

The accused have previous cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, while their wider criminal records are being verified, John said.

Given the scale of the seizure, a special team will be formed to investigate the case further. The District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) and other police personnel are involved in the probe.

No other contraband or cash was recovered in the latest operation, police said. Authorities have so far found no confirmed international links, though the possibility is being examined as the investigation continues.