Latest news with #DANSAF
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Flash inspections under way against banned tobacco products
Noticing a spike in the sale of banned tobacco products, the police have intensified flash inspections in various wayside shops located closer to schools and colleges in Kozhikode. Cafes, cool bars, and eateries in several locations have also been brought under surveillance following confidential complaints from the school authorities and parents. Along with the local police, special squads from the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) and Crime Squad members under the District Police Chiefs will take part in flash inspections. The Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police are also alert to attempts to smuggle banned tobacco products by train. 'As migrant workers have been found associated with the bulk retail of smuggled tobacco products, their temporary accommodations will be inspected frequently with the support of the local police. The building owners have also been asked to be watchful of any illegal activities by tenants,' said a police officer from the Anti-Narcotics squad. He added that students' support would be sought to help identify local traders of banned tobacco products. According to DANSAF officers, they had carried out multiple raids in several suspected spots ahead of the school reopening in the district. There were also considerable seizures from some of the suspected spots apart from the arrest of the carriers, they said. Meanwhile, the district administration announced a new project to declare all educational institutions tobacco-free zones by June 30. The campaign with the mission would be carried out in view of the upcoming 'World No Tobacco Day'. A district-level meeting with the heads of various government departments was also held at the Collectorate recently to plan the project execution. 'We have decided to start the activities by launching a 'Yellow Line Campaign', which will ensure the participation of students and teachers in forming a human chain within a 100-metre radius of schools. The purpose is to reiterate that the area is a no-tobacco zone,' said a senior Revenue department official. He added that the formation of school-level vigilance committees, awareness classes against tobacco use, and the erection of anti-tobacco boards in public places would be carried out as part of the aggressive campaign.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- The Hindu
Two men spend five months in jail after police mistake rock sugar for MDMA
A new job opportunity turned into a harrowing five-month ordeal for two men, who were wrongfully jailed on charge of possessing MDMA, only to be released after a test report revealed that the seized substance was rock sugar. Manikandan, 46, of Kannur and Biju Mathew of Kolichal in Kasaragod, were arrested on November 26, 2024, by the Nadakavu police in Kozhikode. Officers with the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) allegedly found 58 grams of white powder in Mr. Manikandan's pocket and assumed that it was MDMA. Despite their claims that the powder was only rock sugar, the two were booked and remanded. With the chemical report pending, their pleas for bail were rejected. It was only on the 151st day of remand that the chemical analysis confirmed what they had maintained all along — the substance was not a narcotic. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Mathew described the experience as a nightmare that has scarred him for life. 'Those days in jail felt endless. I kept thinking of my mother, who was all alone,' he said. 'A nightmare' Mr. Mathew said he and Mr. Manikandan, both drivers and friends for long, had met at the Kanhangad railway station on November 24 and travelled to Kozhikode to pursue a job opening. 'We rented a room and had liquor with rock sugar as as side dish. When we went downstairs for dinner, the DANSAF team surrounded us and took us into custody,' he said. 'They found the rock sugar in Manikandan's pocket. They refused to listen to us and insisted that it was MDMA.' he said. Only months later did the forensic laboratory's report prove their innocence, prompting the Vadakara NDPS court to order their release. However, exoneration has brought little comfort. 'People treated us like criminals. My relatives refused to speak to me,' Mr. Mathew said. With no job and no income, and severe emotional damage to boot, his life after release has been difficult and he has chosen to tell the story so as to clear his name. When asked about legal action against the officials who falsely implicated him, he said he did not have the means to fight a case. 'But I want people to know the truth.' Attempts to contact Mr. Manikandan were met with silence. But Mr. Mathew said his friend suffered just as much. 'His daughter had to stop her nursing studies since they could not pay her fee while he was in jail,' he said. DANSAF version A senior DANSAF officer, on condition of anonymity, said the duo were arrested based on credible intelligence. 'According to our sources, they came to Kozhikode to purchase MDMA, but were duped and were sold rock sugar instead,' the officer said. He claimed the duo admitted to this during interrogation. 'Once the lab results were out, they changed their version of events,' the officer added.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- The Hindu
Synthetic drug trafficking: DANSAF nabs two suspects in Kozhikode
The District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) arrested two Kozhikode natives with 298 grams of suspected MDMA. C.V. Navas, 28, and T. Imthias, 30, were nabbed with the support of a patrol squad from the Feroke police station. Police sources said the two were suspected of targeting school and college students in the Feroke and Ramanattukara areas. Preliminary investigations revealed their role in smuggling synthetic drugs from Bengaluru using a car registered in Maharashtra, they added. The patrol squad intercepted their car near Ramanattukara as the two tried to escape from a previous checkpoint. Navas was reportedly engaged in odd businesses, while Imthias was working as an auto driver, the police said. 'Navas carried out the suspected drug business alongside some local livestock trade. He had maintained a network of drug pushers using WhatsApp groups,' a police officer associated with the probe said. He also ran a car resale business, which he used as a cover to traffic synthetic drugs from other States, the officer revealed. DANSAF officers said they had exposed six major incidents of drug trafficking within the last three weeks in Kozhikode city. There were also 11 arrests within the short term, they added.
New Indian Express
12-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Four Bengal men arrested with 24kg ganja hidden inside bicycle air pumps in Kochi
KOCHI: Drug peddlers are finding new and innovative ways to smuggle ganja into the state. On Sunday, four West Bengal natives were arrested from the vicinity of the signal junction near the Kochi airport in Aluva with around 24kg of ganja that they had concealed inside bicycle air pumps. The arrested persons are Murshidabad natives Rakhibul Mollah, 21, Sirajul Munshi, 30, Rabi, 42, and Saiful Sheikh, 36, all of whom are believed to be key figures in a ganja trafficking network. The action was taken during a joint operation undertaken by the Nedumbassery police and the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) based on a confidential tip-off received by District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) M Hemalatha. The contraband, said a source with the Ernakulam Rural police, had been concealed inside 200 bicycle air pumps. 'The suspects disguised themselves as bicycle air pump vendors to smuggle drugs. Preliminary investigations indicate they are key figures in a ganja trafficking network operating in the state,' the source said, adding that the accused persons procured the cannabis from Odisha for Rs 2,000 per kg and intended to sell it here for 10 times the price. The source said the four were travelling together in an auto-rickshaw when they were intercepted and apprehended. 'Earlier, the suspects used to arrive at Aluva from Odisha by train. However, they altered their travel route recently, disembarking in Coimbatore and then reaching Angamaly by bus, before taking the autorickshaw.' Hemalatha said the seizure was the first of its kind in Kerala. 'Not only was it a major drug bust, but it also revealed a new smuggling technique. The cannabis was concealed inside the air pumps in a way that aroused no suspicion at first glance. However, a detailed inspection by the team led to the seizure,' she said. The police are investigating possible links and involvement of others in the network.
New Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Rapper Vedan arrested after Cannabis seized from Kochi flat
Vedan, along with eight others, was apprehended with around 5 grams of cannabis during a raid at his flat. The operation was carried out by the Kochi City DANSAF squad (District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force) following a confidential tip-off. "Acting on the tip-off, we arrived at the flat around 10 am and recovered the ganja during the search," an officer with the squad said. The rapper and his companions had reportedly returned early on Monday morning after attending a programme, the officer added. Vedan gained recognition for writing and performing the track Kuthanthram Thanthram (Viyarppu Thunniyitta Kuppaayam) in the popular Malayalam film Manjummel Boys . In the wake of his arrest, the Kerala government has reportedly cancelled a programme featuring Vedan, which was scheduled to be held in Idukki district as part of the LDF government's fourth anniversary celebrations. This incident comes close on the heels of another case involving members of the Malayalam film industry. On Sunday, filmmakers The raid on Vedan's residence also coincided with Malayalam film actors Shine TM Chacko and Sreenath Bhasi's appearance before the excise team, which is investigating the seizure of hybrid cannabis in Alappuzha. Along with the actors, Palakkad model Soumya also appeared for questioning at the office of the excise deputy commissioner in Alappuzha.
