Operation Toofan: Police seize 60 vials of heroin during raids in Perumbavoor, 12 in custody

Kochi: Rural police held extensive raids in Perumbavoor on Sunday in connection with Operation Toofan, seized 60 vials of heroin and took 12 people into custody.The raids were carried out by a team under Perumbavoor ASP Hardik Meena.

Police conducted inspections near Perumbavoor bus stand, fish market and other parts of the town. The raids were held with the assistance of a sniffer dog trained to identify narcotic substances.

The raids, which began on Sunday evening, continued late into the night.According to rural police, since June 1, about 60kg of cannabis have been seized. Police also confiscated 780g of hashish oil and 5g of MDMA. Around 60 drug-related cases have been registered, and 73 people were arrested since June 1, police said.

They said that special teams are investigating each seizure so that the entire racket, including the original source and destination of the smuggled contraband, can be identified.The investigation is being carried out even as ground-level enforcement is being intensified in regions like Perumbavoor under the leadership of district police chief K S Sudarshan. The biggest cannabis haul under Operation Toofan was 34kg, seized from Kunnuvazhi. The accused had brought the drugs from Odisha and were caught while travelling in an autorickshaw from Aluva railway station. Three people from West Bengal were arrested in connection with this. Police later seized 12kg of cannabis brought from Odisha at Angamaly railway station, leading to the arrest of two more West Bengal natives.During a raid in Perumbavoor town, cannabis, hashish oil and heroin were recovered. Four sacks of banned tobacco products were also seized in the operation. Two women migrants were also arrested in connection with drug sales.