Man who posed as anti-drug crusader held with MDMA

Kottayam: A 25-year-old man held with MDMA during a districtwide crackdown under Operation Toofan turned out to be the self-styled state president of the youth wing of an organisation Anti Drugs Movement in Nation (ADMIN), police said.Sharfin Sebastian, residing within Perumbetti police station limits in Pathanamthitta district, was arrested by a joint team of the district Dansaf unit and the Ranni sub-division Dansaf unit.The arrest followed a tip-off to the district police chief that MDMA was being stored at Sebastian’s home. The Dansaf team kept him under surveillance for several days before raiding the house on Sunday noon. Sebastian initially tried to mislead the team by denying access to his room, police said.

A thorough search of the house led to the recovery of 1.590 grams of MDMA hidden inside a concealed compartment among books.During the search, police also recovered an identity card describing Sebastian as the state president of ADMIN’s youth wing. A glass bubbler, L-shaped fuming pipes and plastic pipes used for consuming the drug were also seized from his room.The district police chief said Sebastian, who projected himself locally as an anti-drug campaigner and state-level office-bearer, is already an accused in drug cases registered at the Palarivattom police station in Ernakulam and Ernakulam Town police station, besides two criminal cases — including one involving an attack on women — at the Koipuram police station.Sebastian was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.