12.8 kg MDMA worth over ₹10 cr seized in Keralam, three held - The HinduPublished - August 29, 2026 06:30 pm IST - MALAPPURAMMDMA packets seized by the police.A police squad from Malappuram seized 12.8 kg of MDMA valued at more than ₹10 crore in the retail market from a car in Coimbatore. Three persons from Malappuram and Wayanad were arrested.The arrested are Jabir Ali, 32, from Panthallur near Manjeri; Mohammed Salih, 34, from Meppadi in Wayanad; and Shaim Akbar, 21, from Anakkayam near Manjeri.The arrests were made by a special investigation team led by District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John. Manjeri Inspector T.G. Dileep and the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) squad were part of the team.The police said the MDMA was being transported for distribution in Keralam and Tamil Nadu. The drugs were concealed in the door panels of an Innova car.The MDMA was packed in quantities ranging from 100 to 500 g for delivery at multiple locations between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, the police said.The investigation began after police arrested six people with 100 g MDMA from an apartment at Manjeri a few weeks ago. Interrogation of the accused led police to a wider drug trafficking network operating in Keralam and other States.According to the police, the network sourced and stored large quantities of MDMA at locations in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru before sending the drugs to Keralam and Tamil Nadu. The gang allegedly used cars with concealed compartments to transport the drugs.The police identified Coimbatore, Palani and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu as transit points used by the network. The three accused were arrested near Coimbatore during surveillance of the network and its intermediaries.The police said the investigation was continuing to identify the source of the MDMA and other members of the network.Ms. John said drug gangs were increasingly targeting young people in Keralam and Tamil Nadu, and described the seizure as one of the biggest drug hauls in the State in recent memory.The Special Investigation Team included Perinthalmanna Dy.SP. Gopakumar, Malappuram Dy.SP. Subhash Babu, Manjeri station ASI Muhammad Ali, Taufiq Mubarak and Pradeep Kumar, apart from members of the DANSAF squad.The police said the gang was caught following a carefully planned operation by the Special Investigation Team. They said more young people, lured by the prospect of easy money, were suspected to be involved in the drug trade. The police had gathered leads about other members of the network and were continuing the investigation.Published - August 29, 2026 06:30 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }