Kozhikode: Excise officials arrested three Malappuram natives on Thursday and seized 220 grams of methamphetamine in their possession.

The accused are Edavakkathu Libilu Sanas (22) from Marakkara, Pulivettipparambil Ajmal (25) from Kanjippura, and Kanjirappalan Munawir (24) from Karippol. They were apprehended at 8.40 am near the Mofussil bus stand by Excise Circle Inspector Prajith during a special operation conducted jointly by the Anti Narcotic Special Squad and the Excise Commissioner’s Squad. The trio had arrived from Bengaluru and was planning to board another bus to Malappuram. The drugs were primarily intended for supply in Malappuram, as well as Ramanattukara and Feroke in Kozhikode.

The accused have been booked under Section 22(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Inspector Prajith noted that the trio, with prior records in drug-related cases, sourced the methamphetamine from Bengaluru.

“Five years ago, we would typically seize only a gram or two of methamphetamine at a time. Now, we're seizing between 200 to 500 grams per operation, reflecting the substance's growing demand among young people,” Prajith remarked.