Chennai: In a major crackdown on drug syndicates, Coimbatore City Police arrested seven individuals, including the son of a Sub-Inspector, and seized a large quantity of synthetic drugs.
The operation, which began on Friday was continuing till Saturday afternoon.
The arrested individuals have been identified as K. Manikandan (39), S. Vinayagam (34), V. Krishnakanth (34), M. Mahavishnu (28), D. Adarsh (24), A. Rithesh Lamba (41), and B. Rohan Shetty (30), all residents of various localities in Coimbatore.
Notably, Mahavishnu is the son of Vijayalakshmi, a Sub-Inspector with the Economic Offences Wing in Coimbatore.
The police seized a significant haul of contraband, including 24.40 grams of MDMA (ecstasy),12.47 grams of MDMA powder, 92.43 grams of cocaine, 1.62 kg of green ganja,1.01 kg of dry ganja and 1.68 kg of kush (a potent form of cannabis).
In addition to the drugs, authorities recovered Rs 25 lakh in cash, a cash counting machine, four digital weighing machines, premium liquor in bulk, three cars, and 12 mobile phones.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate sourced MDMA and cocaine from Maharashtra, while ganja and kush were procured from Himachal Pradesh.
The accused were reportedly leading lavish lifestyles funded by their illegal earnings.
One suspect was in the process of building a house in Kovaipudur, while others had acquired properties in the Teachers Colony area.
Police have initiated legal proceedings to seize their immovable assets and freeze 12 bank accounts used for drug-related transactions.
It may be recalled that a few days ago Greater Chennai Police arrested two men and seized 102 kg of ganja, a Honda City car (KA 01 MD 2866), and two mobile phones.
The arrests followed a tip-off from an informant in Andhra Pradesh.
The accused, Paraman (45) of Madurai District and Daniel Raja (34) of Usilampatti, were intercepted near the Maduravoyal Bypass Road in Anagaputhur.
Paraman is a habitual offender with a history of crimes, including drug trafficking, theft, rioting, assault, and criminal intimidation. He has been arrested multiple times in Madurai and surrounding districts.
Daniel Raja was previously booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in Thirumangalam earlier this year.
Authorities revealed that Paraman became fluent in Telugu while operating a snack business in Andhra Pradesh. He allegedly shifted to drug trafficking in 2019 and was arrested during the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections in Nellore with 10 kg of ganja.
He was jailed in Visakhapatnam, where he reportedly formed connections with Andhra-based drug suppliers, Nagaraj and Najeem from Narasipattinam.
After his release in May 2024, Paraman resumed operations and partnered with Daniel Raja. They procured a Honda City car from Tiruppur and made several trips to Narasipattinam to smuggle ganja.
According to police, the duo initially purchased 52 kg (26 parcels) of ganja for Rs 2 lakh and sold it in the hilly terrains of Usilampatti.
For Pongal in January 2025, they bought 90 kg (45 parcels) for Rs 4 lakh.
Their latest consignment — 101 kg (51 parcels) for Rs 8 lakh — was intercepted en route to Chennai before distribution.
A senior officer commented, “This syndicate exploited the Andhra-Tamil Nadu corridor, using remote hilly areas as storage hubs. Paraman’s jail connections helped him expand his network, indicating the organised nature of the operation.”
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Police ramped up efforts to curb trafficking and use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive substance.
Special operations are being conducted across the state, targeting both urban and rural areas.
Recent arrests indicate that traffickers are even targeting schoolchildren.
In response, Director General of Police (DGP) Sankar Jiwal has instructed all district superintendents to personally monitor special squads tasked with dismantling these drug networks.
(IANS)
