Three held after MDMA worth over Rs 10 lakh seized from Kozhikode gym

Kozhikode (Kerala), Jul 18 (PTI) Police raided a gymnasium and arrested three persons after seizing around 250 grams of MDMA and 40 grams of ganja, with the total value of the contraband estimated at over Rs 10 lakh at Payyanakkal here on Saturday, officials said. The arrested were identified as Ijaz, Jamsheer and Arshad, all natives of Kozhikode. Officials of the Panniyankara police station said the accused were arrested from the gym at Payyanakkal following a tip-off that drug peddling was taking place there. According to the police, the trio worked out at the gym and also assisted people who came there for training. The raid was carried out by the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) in coordination with the Panniyankara police. Police said the accused tried to hide the money allegedly received from drug sales in a water tank after noticing the police team. During the search, the police recovered around 250 grams of MDMA and 40 grams of ganja, valued at over Rs 10 lakh. The accused allegedly resisted arrest and had to be overpowered before being taken to the police station, officials said. Police said the three had allegedly been involved in drug trafficking for several months and had been under surveillance for a considerable period. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The accused are being questioned to ascertain the source of the drugs and identify those to whom they allegedly supplied the narcotics in the city, police added. PTI TBA TBA KH