Kochi City police on Wednesday recovered approximately 20 kg of ganja in Eloor and arrested a man alleged to be involved in interstate smuggling and local distribution, officials said. The arrested person has been identified as Sukhchand Sekh, a native of Murshidabad in West Bengal.
How the alleged smuggling was carried out
According to the police, Sekh acquired the contraband in Odisha at relatively low prices and moved it by train through Karnataka before bringing it into Keralam. Investigators said he used a specially fabricated compartment concealed with iron sheets to evade detection during transit.
Police said the suspect operated in Kochi by presenting the pretext of arriving to collect goods, a ruse to distribute the consignment in Eloor and neighbouring localities. The force had been keeping the suspect under surveillance for some time prior to the arrest.
"The seizure was made based on information received by Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar."
Operation and teams involved
The recovery and arrest were carried out by the DANSAF team — the District Anti‑Narcotics Special Action Force of the Keralam Police. The operation was led by Narcotic Cell Assistant Commissioner Ananth Lal, and conducted under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners of Police Mohit Rawat, IPS, and Arun Pavithran, IPS, police said.
- Quantity seized: around 20 kg of ganja.
- Arrested: Sukhchand Sekh, native of Murshidabad, West Bengal.
- Modus operandi: transport by train from Odisha to Karnataka in a fabricated compartment concealed with iron sheets; distribution under the pretext of collecting goods in Eloor and nearby areas.
Local implications and enforcement context
The seizure highlights ongoing efforts by Kochi police and specialised anti‑narcotics units to disrupt supply chains bringing contraband into the city from other states. Police statements indicate an economic motive behind the trafficking: investigators said Sekh purchased the ganja at low prices in Odisha and sold it in Keralam at nearly five times the purchase price per kilogram.
For residents of Eloor and surrounding areas, the operation is a reminder of the cross‑border networks that feed local drug markets and the need for targeted policing and intelligence sharing between states. The use of altered or concealed compartments on long‑distance trains underlines the methods traffickers adopt to move consignments while attempting to avoid detection at checkpoints.
Next steps and legal process
Police have detained the suspect and are conducting further enquiries into his contacts, procurement routes and distribution links within Kochi and neighbouring regions. The case will proceed according to the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and other applicable laws; further charges or arrests may follow pending ongoing investigations, the police said.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Seized substance | Ganja (cannabis) |
| Quantity | ~20 kg |
| Suspect | Sukhchand Sekh (Murshidabad, West Bengal) |
| Investigating unit | DANSAF (led by Asst. Commissioner Ananth Lal; supervised by DCPs Mohit Rawat and Arun Pavithran) |
| Source of information | Information received by Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar |
Police appeals to the public typically ask those with relevant information about similar smuggling or distribution networks to come forward to local police stations or contact narcotics units. Continued vigilance and community cooperation remain important to help law enforcement detect and dismantle illicit supply chains before they reach neighbourhoods.
This account is based on a police release and reporting from PTI.
