Kochi police arrested a 46-year-old man and seized 35 grams of MDMA allegedly brought from Bengaluru for sale in the city during a raid in Vyttila, the Malayala Manorama report said on Friday. The arrest was carried out as part of Operation Thufan by the Kochi City police’s District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force, or DANSAF.
The arrested man was identified as Siraj, a native of Thrissur who is currently residing in the Eroor area of Thrippunithura. Police said the contraband had been transported to Kochi for distribution and that they were investigating the supply chain behind the seizure.
According to the report, Siraj had previously been arrested in drug-related cases registered at Parassala police station in Thiruvananthapuram district and at Maradu police station in Ernakulam district. Police described him as a major supplier involved in the sale of narcotic substances in Kochi.
The operation followed confidential information received by Kochi City Police Commissioner R. Nishanthini. Deputy Commissioners of Police Mohit Rawat and Arun Pavithran directed the action, while the DANSAF team operated under the leadership of Narcotics Cell Assistant Commissioner Ananthalal.
Police are collecting information about the source from whom the accused allegedly obtained the MDMA and the intended recipients of the consignment in Kochi. The report did not provide details about additional arrests or confirm whether the investigation had identified the buyers or downstream distribution points.
The seizure is the third major drug recovery reported in Kochi city during the week. Police Commissioner Nishanthini said strict action would continue against the drug network operating in the city and that intensified inspections would be carried out in the coming days.
The case places attention on the enforcement challenge created by drug consignments moving into a large, connected urban area through inter-city supply routes. The police account indicates that the current investigation is focused not only on the seized consignment but also on identifying the wider chain of suppliers and intended customers.
The police investigation will now determine the source of the MDMA, its intended distribution network and whether further arrests will follow. Authorities have also announced that inspections targeting drug activity in Kochi will continue in the coming days.
