Two weeks after foiling an attempt to smuggle 500 kg of ganja at Attingal, the State Excise Enforcement Squad (SEES) busted another bid to sneak in 203 kg of the contraband into the State capital on Tuesday.
Three people, including a murder accused, were apprehended by a team led by excise circle inspector T. Anikumar at Balaramapuram during their alleged attempt to smuggle the drug from Andhra Pradesh. The accused were identified as Jomith, 32, Suresh, 32 and Vipin Raj, 30, all from Thiruvananthapuram. Suresh is an accused in two murder cases registered in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
One escapes
The SEES team intercepted two cars transporting the consignment when they reached Kodinada, near Balaramapuram. While Jomith and Suresh were apprehended on the spot, Vipin attempted to flee after ramming the excise jeep. He was overpowered by the Balaramapuram police with assistance from a group of local residents. The fourth member of the gang, however, managed to escape.
According to Mr. Anikumar, the consignment was meant for distribution in various parts of the district. The region has been witnessing an increased inflow of the contraband ever since liquor sales have been restricted.
Earlier this month, the excise team had arrested three people in connection with the bid to smuggle 500 kg of ganja on a container lorry from Karnataka.
