Drug peddlers who provide ganja to inmates held

KOCHI: The Kochi City Shadow Police have busted a gang of drug peddlers providing ganja to jail inmates.The four-member gang caught red-handed include Joseph Titus, 52, residing at a rented house near Chittur, Pradeep, 40, of Palakkaparambu, Pachalam, Ramshad, 28, of Nangyarathu Parambu, Nettoor, and Anoosh, 27, of Vadakkathu Parambu, Manapattiparambu. Around half a kilogram of ganja was recovered from the gang which used to provide ganja in special rolls to Nazir, alias Bhai Nazir, through another prisoner of the same name known as Puli Nazir, the police said.The raid comes at a time when mobile phones and ganja were seized from the jails following inquiries conducted by judges.Following investigations into information received by Kochi City Police Commissioner M R Ajithkumar, the operation was led by Special Branch Assistant Commissioner M N Ramesh as directed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Gopalakrishna Pillai. Shadow Police SIs Muhammad Nizar and Suresh Babu, North SI Vijaysankar and his team, along with civil police officers, were part of the team. Information regarding ganja should be provided to the Special Branch office on the numbers 0484-2385002, 9497980440, the Commissioner said.