Thiruvananthapuram: The excise department, under its anti-drug drive titled Operation Thunder, seized 125g of MDMA from a group travelling as a family and arrested Eanchakkal native Kiran, 33, his mother Beena, 50, his friend Sandhya,18, from Tirunelveli and his friend from Chala Akshay A S (26) in front of Aralumoodu Market on Wednesday.The accused reportedly sourced the drug from Bengaluru.Assistant excise commissioner R Manoj, who visited the spot, said more arrests are expected in the case and that senior officers would oversee further probe.A team led by excise CI Hirosh V R got a tip and put the group under surveillance for some time on suspicion of drug trafficking. Excise officers said the group was travelling in an SUV and the drugs were allegedly concealed inside the stereo system.The officer said the accused allegedly purchased a small quantity of clothes along the way to create the impression that they were involved in textile trade.By travelling together, they tried to give the impression that they were a family to ward off suspicion during checks.Excise officers said their investigation indicated that Beena’s phone was used for drug-related transactions. They seized four mobile phones and the Rs 10,500 the group had as evidence.The operation took a different turn when officials found that Kiran’s eight-year-old daughter was also travelling in the vehicle.Kiran, who has been married for eight years, had separated from his wife two years ago and the child has been staying with him. After his arrest, excise officers contacted his relatives and handed over the child to them.Officers said they had kept an eye on the group for several days and the seizure could help investigators identify others involved in the supply and distribution network operating across the district.
