A sub-inspector attached to Ernakulam Central Police Station has been arrested and suspended after allegedly stealing 87.37 grams of MDMA kept in the station’s strong room as case evidence, according to the FIR and the suspension order cited by police.
The arrested officer is Aneez S Thoufeeq, 29, a native of Thiruvananthapuram. Ernakulam Central Police arrested him on Thursday after a special branch report led to his suspension earlier the same day. The case concerns drugs seized by Elamakkara Police in a narcotics investigation and stored in police custody before being transferred for disposal.
According to the FIR, Thoufeeq entered the strong room without permission and allegedly removed a sealed packet containing 87.37 grams of MDMA seized on October 18. The FIR states that he knew the packet contained the drug and tampered with the evidence, resulting in a difference in the quantity recorded for the case.
The strong room was used to store drugs seized in different narcotics cases before they were moved to the godown at the District Headquarters (DHQ) camp for disposal. Officers later noticed a discrepancy in the quantity of MDMA, according to the suspension order. After learning that an inquiry was under way, Thoufeeq allegedly returned another unsealed packet containing 202 grams of MDMA on October 26.
The case was registered on the complaint of the officer responsible for the station’s strong room. Police have booked the sub-inspector under Sections 306 and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The BNS provisions cited in the case concern theft by a clerk or servant of property in the possession of a master and causing the disappearance of evidence, while Section 21(c) relates to offences involving a commercial quantity of manufactured drugs.
Police said the investigation is examining the motive behind the alleged theft and whether the officer received assistance from anyone else at the station. Investigators are also checking his financial background. The inquiry is expected to establish how the seized material was accessed, how the discrepancy arose and whether the evidence-handling process was breached by others.
The case places scrutiny on the chain of custody for narcotics seized during police investigations. Seized drugs must remain identifiable and secure until they are produced before the relevant authorities or moved for disposal. Any unexplained change in quantity can affect the integrity of the evidence and the prosecution of the original narcotics case.
The officer had also been involved in drug-awareness activities under Operation Toofan, according to the report. The police investigation and departmental proceedings will determine the next steps in the case and whether further personnel face action.
