In a significant breakthrough, the Ernakulam rural police have apprehended the suspected kingpin of an inter-state heroin trafficking network operating between Assam and Kerala. Shefikul Islam, a 38-year-old native of Nagaon in Assam, was taken into custody by a special investigation team led by the Ernakulam rural district police chief.
According to officials, Islam was the primary supplier of heroin seized from three migrant workers in Angamaly earlier this month. The seized heroin, weighing 609 grams, is valued at several lakhs of rupees. Known as 'Dada' in drug trafficking circles, Islam had been living in Kerala for nearly a decade, initially working in plywood factories before entering the scrap business and eventually alleged to have shifted to heroin trafficking.
Investigators claim that Islam led a lavish lifestyle, frequently traveling between Assam and Kochi by air. He allegedly sourced heroin from Assam at a cost of around Rs 30,000 and sold it in Kerala for a significant profit, ranging from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The narcotic was also repackaged into smaller bottles and sold for around Rs 1,000 per bottle.
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