Kochi: Two youths have been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped with a fine of ₹1 lakh each for drug trafficking in the city. Susymol M Sunny, aka Thumpippennu (26) from Chingavanam in Kottayam, and Ameer Sohail (25) from Chengamanadu, Aluva, were sentenced by the Ernakulam Additional District Sessions Court on Wednesday. The remaining two accused- Ajma K A (24) of Vypeen and Elroy Varghese (22) of Angamaly- were acquitted for want of accused.

Justice P M Suresh Babu pronounced the verdict in the case registered in October 2023. The accused were arrested by the excise from the premises of JLN Stadium, Kaloor, with 350 gm of synthetic drugs valued at around ₹25 lakh.

Susymol used to operate a drug peddling gang which distributed synthetic drugs to the customers by dropping the contraband substances packed in black polythene covers in garbage heaps in different parts of the city. Susymol used to collect money from the customers and assign her accomplices to peddle the narcotic substances.

The four youths were arrested by excise sleuths based on a tip-off when they reached the stadium premises in a luxury car. The gang used to travel around on motorbikes, but they chose to drive the car on that night since it was raining, the Excise said. 

During the trial, as many as 14 witnesses were examined. Public prosecutor Jolly George represented the prosecution, while assistant excise commissioner T N Sudeer led the investigation. The convicts have been shifted to the Ernakulam sub-jail.