Kasaragod: Kasaragod Police intercepted an SUV travelling from Bengaluru and arrested four individuals, including two women, after reportedly discovering 100 grams of MDMA, a psychoactive party drug, in the vehicle.

Adhur Police, which made the arrest, identified the accused as Mohammed Sahad (26), a native of Mastikundu in Muliyar grama panchayat; Shanavas P M (42) and his wife Shareefa (40) from Vidyanagar in Kasaragod town; and Shanavas's sister Shuhaiba P M (38) from Chattanchal in Chemnad panchayat. Police impounded the SUV also.

Shuhaiba was travelling with her two-year-old child, and police suspect they were posing as a family to mislead them.

Sahad, who runs juice shops in Kochi and Bengaluru, was arrested earlier too with MDMA, said an officer at Adhur station. "The other three are being arrested for the first time. The women claimed they were not aware that the car had drugs," said an officer. "We will investigate their claim," he said.

Legally, 0.5 grams of psychotropic drugs such as MDMA -- primarily known for its stimulant and hallucinogenic properties -- is considered a small quantity. But anything above 10g is considered commercial quantity, and if convicted, they would face rigorous imprisonment between 10 years to 20 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Adhur police said they got a tip-off saying a white Grand Vitara was coming from Bengaluru with the contraband.

They spotted the car on the Jalsoor-Cherkala State Highway. Suspecting that the police were tailing them, they took the Iriyanni road at Kottur, said another officer. "But we were prepared and trapped them at Manjakkal (near Iriyanni)," an officer said. The drug was found in Sahad's pocket.

They were produced before a magistrate court, which remanded them in judicial custody.