The police have identified the key accused in the MDMA smuggling case that led to the arrest of four persons at Karipur airport recently.
According to the police, a look out notice will be issued against Naufal, a native of Kannur who currently resides in Oman. Steps have been initiated to extradite him from Oman, the police added.
Earlier, four persons – Surya, a native of Pathanamthitta, Muhammed Rafi, Ali Akbar and Shafeeq, all from Parappanangadi – were arrested.
The police said the gang allegedly lured Surya with the promise of money and commission for smuggling synthetic drugs into Kerala.
According to the police, Surya travelled to Oman on July 16 in search of a job but returned four days later with a bag containing the contraband, which was given to her by Naufal. The plan was to hand over the drugs to the men waiting outside Karipur airport, who would then escort her to Kozhikode railway station.
However, police personnel at Karipur grew suspicious about two vehicles parked outside the airport and intercepted them when Surya arrived. A search led to the seizure of 1 kg of MDMA inside candy wrappers, which had slipped past airport security checks.
The four were taken into custody by the police and interrogated at the airport. Based on Surya’s statement, the police uncovered details of an international drug-trafficking network with Oman links.
The police are now trying to trace the origin of the drugs, the intended recipients in Kerala, and possible previous deliveries. Investigators confirmed that Naufal was the key mastermind of the operation and efforts are under way to get him extradited.
Published – July 22, 2025 04:39 pm IST
