College guest lecturer among four arrested in alleged Kerala drug racket

A college guest lecturer is among four people arrested in connection with an alleged network supplying MDMA and cannabis to students and other young people in Nilambur and neighbouring areas of Kerala’s Malappuram district, police said.

The accused have been identified as P. Suhail, a guest lecturer at a college in Mampad, Reena T.N., Vivek Vijayan and Subrahmanyan.

A Nilambur police team led by Sub-Inspector Arshid K.M. made the arrests after receiving information about the alleged drug trade.

Police initially detained Subrahmanyan and allegedly recovered 0.4 grams of MDMA and 0.5 grams of cannabis from his possession.

During questioning, he allegedly disclosed details about the network and told investigators that he regularly supplied MDMA to Suhail, Vijayan and Reena. Police subsequently conducted further operations and arrested the other three suspects.

Investigators allege that Suhail worked with the other accused to distribute synthetic drugs among students and people known to them.

Police are examining whether his position as a guest lecturer helped him establish contact with students allegedly targeted by the network.

Subrahmanyan operated a beauty parlour that investigators suspect may have been used as a centre for drug-related activities. Police are examining the premises and his contacts to establish whether it was used to store or distribute narcotics or facilitate their sale.

According to police, Vijayan had previously been arrested in another drug case. Investigators are reviewing that case to determine whether it has any connection with the alleged Nilambur network.

The investigation is now being widened to identify the sources of the MDMA and cannabis and locate other people who may have participated in the supply chain.

Police are also probing whether the accused had links to suppliers outside Nilambur and whether the narcotics were brought into the area through a wider organised network.

The arrests come amid mounting concern over the circulation of synthetic drugs among young people in Kerala, where police have intensified operations against local distributors and their suspected suppliers.

With IANS inputs