Police review progress of probe into synthetic drug trafficking cases involving foreign nationals

The Kozhikode City police have begun a comprehensive review of the ongoing investigation into recently exposed synthetic drug trafficking cases involving foreign nationals. District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) T. Narayanan recently chaired a district-level review meeting of senior investigators to assess the progress of the probe after the arrest of a few Nigerian citizens who were suspected of having key roles in national and international drug deals.

According to police sources, the digital evidence already gathered from mobile phones, messaging platforms, and banks has been instrumental in uncovering the operational methods of the suspects and those secretly working within the network. Investigators confirmed that the evidence would help them determine the extent of the network and identify more suspects.

Officers with the Anti-Narcotics Squad here indicated that they have begun a probe into the suspected involvement of a larger drug distribution racket with alleged links to foreign nationals operating in various Indian States. Primary findings suggested that the suspects have established operational bases in cities outside Kerala from where they coordinate the distribution, they said.

“Local drug pushers with inter-State connections are suspected of playing a key role in encouraging these foreign nationals to supply narcotic substances within Kerala and neighbouring States. Call detail records of some local drug pushers arrested in connection with drug trafficking cases have already confirmed this,” said a senior police officer with the State-level Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force. He added that a State-level squad had already zeroed in on some of the kingpins behind such inter-State and international networks.

An officer with the District-level Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force said some supportive data for follow-up investigations on suspected foreign nationals residing in India had already been gathered from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office. He said the data was sought mainly to track their movement patterns, visa statuses, and potential connections to criminal activities with the support of various national and international investigations.

With the support of a State-level squad, the Kozhikode City police recently exposed a synthetic drug production unit in Gurugram, Haryana, in coordination with police squads from Delhi and Haryana. The action was a follow-up to the arrest of Siraj, 31, a Malappuram native, near Kozhikode railway station six months ago with 778 grams of MDMA. He reportedly sourced the drug from a Nigerian national in Delhi.

Police sources said the digital and financial trails led to the identification of two Nigerian nationals and their locations in Haryana and Delhi. Acting on a further tip-off from the Kozhikode City police, the local police raided a “drug kitchen” in Gurugram, leading to the arrest of eight people — six Nigerians, a Nepal and a Mizoram native. The enforcement squad also recovered 1.60 kg of ‘Sulfa,’ known as sniffing drugs, 904 grams of cocaine, and 2.34 kg of raw cocaine, with an estimated value of ₹1 crore.