Police in Wayanad arrested a granite crusher unit manager described as a key player in the local ganja trade together with his associate and seized 24.164 kg of ganja from the manager’s office near Sulthan Bathery.[1] The prime accused is 35-year-old Ebi Elias of Pelakkudy House, Puthankunnu, Makkutti, near Sulthan Bathery, and his alleged associate is 35-year-old T R Nidhun, alias Puttu, of Thekkumkattil House, Puthankunnu.[1] Ebi was produced before the Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court in Sulthan Bathery and remanded to judicial custody.[1]
According to a police communique issued on Tuesday, Ebi allegedly sourced ganja from Odisha and distributed it through a network of local retailers.[1] Police said Ebi had earlier been arrested with more than 1 kg of ganja during a vehicle inspection near Makkutti Bridge.[1] His interrogation reportedly led investigators to a larger stock concealed in his office at a granite crusher unit in Kolagapara.[1] A police team raided the crusher premises on Monday evening and recovered 12 packets containing 24.164 kg of ganja concealed in a trolley bag inside the manager’s office.[1] During a subsequent raid at Nidhun’s residence in Makkutti, police recovered another 7 grams of ganja.[1] Police said Ebi had maintained a network of retailers to distribute the contraband brought from Odisha across Wayanad and that more arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.[1]
The operation was jointly conducted by special squads attached to the Sulthan Bathery Deputy Superintendent of Police’s office, the District Anti-Narcotics Wing and the Sulthan Bathery police station.[1] The operation was monitored by Narcotics and Gender Justice Deputy Superintendent of Police T Manoharan and Sulthan Bathery DySP M Abdul Karim, with Circle Inspector Biju Antony and other personnel taking part.[1]
