T’puram: The special squad investigating seizure of 1.256kg of MDMA, smuggled through the airport from Muscat, arrested Prasad, 47, on Wednesday. The Neyyattinkara native was found to have carried the drug on behalf of the accused.Prasad was arrested after it was discovered that he transported the drug from Muscat under the direction of Sanju, 41, from Mavinmoodu at Kallambalam. Prasad claimed to police that he was unaware the baggage contained the drug. However, the probe team found his claim unconvincing, leading to his arrest.During questioning, Sanju, who is the prime accused in the case, claimed he did not smuggle the drug, challenging the probe team to identify who transported the luggage. Upon investigation, it was found that Prasad transported it, and that both knew each other. Prasad was a construction labourer in Muscat and Sanju used him as a carrier to smuggle the drug.S Nandu, 32, of Njekkad, V Unnikrishnan, 39, and R Prameen, 35, both of Vadasserikonam are the other accused besides Sanju, 41. Only Sanju and Nandu travelled to Muscat, while the other two were arrested for transporting the drug in a pick-up van along with Sanju’s other luggage. They were pursued by police and arrested near Navayikulam.“Their call details and chat history substantiate the fact that Prasad worked as a carrier to smuggle the drug on behalf of Sanju. Prasad also claimed that Sanju approached him at the airport, asking for help to transport one baggage to avoid paying extra duty. However, his claims are not trustworthy, as there is evidence against his statements. The probe into the case is progressing to identify Sanju’s financial sources for purchasing the drug. Despite being jobless, Sanju led a luxurious life and constructed a luxurious house. How did he find the money? All these questions will be answered in the coming days, including his links with the movie industry. The involvement of all people in the racket is also being examined,” probe team said.
