Wayanad: A Gulf returnee who posed as a businessman and travelled in AC train coaches to smuggle ganja was arrested by Excise officials on Sunday. The man had reportedly incurred huge debts from online gaming.
The arrested, Muthanikkad Muhammed Haris, 34, is a native of Kuttippuram in Malappuram. He sourced the substance from Odisha, said Excise Circle Inspector R Prashanth. The team seized 16.155 kg of ganja and arrested him while he was travelling on a Kozhikode-bound KSRTC bus at the Muthanga border check-post.
Haris had travelled from Kozhikode to Vishakhapatnam to receive the consignment and smuggled it via Bengaluru. He travelled in the AC coaches of the train and posed as a businessman to evade suspicion, said Prashanth. The seized ganja is valued at over Rs 5 lakh in the wholesale market, the official added.
Cops stated that Haris, a Gulf returnee, resorted to smuggling due to an accumulated debt of approximately Rs 50 lakh. Back home, after failing to secure a good job abroad he worked as a fish vendor to make a living but continued to incur debt, partly due to losses in online gaming. His wife is reportedly facing a case after a cheque had bounced that needed to be settled this week.
Haris's claims and background would be verified and cross-checked in the coming days, said Prashanth. “The accused said that it was his first smuggling attempt and that he was supposed to hand over the consignment to an agent in Kuttippuram. We are investigating whether he is merely a carrier or a kingpin in the state's narcotic drug racket. His call data records are being analysed," the officer added.
The excise team involved in the operation included Preventive Officers V Abdul Salim and PV Renjith and Civil Excise officials PV Sajith and V Sudheesh. Haris was produced at the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I in Sulthan Bathery and has been remanded to judicial custody.