Kochi : A special investigation team formed to probe the seizure of over 230g of MDMA from Vyttila has sent six phones seized from the prime accused Varun Dev for forensic analysis.
If the vehicle owner is unable to provide such an explanation backed by evidence, then that person will also face legal action,” said the officer. The excise had also seized a jeep from which the MDMA was seized. “The owner of the vehicle is liable to give a valid explanation as to what precaution was taken to avoid using the vehicle for drug smuggling .
The team searched the vehicle and recovered 232g of MDMA concealed beneath the steering wheel on Aug 22. “Our investigation revealed that the man only made eight phone calls from the six phones this year. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi Stay updated with the latest Kochi news.
Hence, we need to get the details through forensic analysis,” said a senior officer with the excise department. The officer said that the bank details of the accused are also under investigation. Digital evidences are being awaited to corroborate the same,” said the officer.
Since most of his calls were either through Telegram or WhatsApp , the call details cannot be obtained through cyber cell. The excise is also investigating those who assisted him in conducting the operations and handling finances. “We have obtained certain details from questioning him. The case pertains to the excise intercepting Dev’s vehicle acting on information that he had arrived in Kochi allegedly to finalise a drug deal. The raid, led by excise inspector Abhiraj, resulted in the seizure of 49g of MDMA kept in three packets and the arrest of two persons. Download the TOI App.
The arrest followed an earlier raid at a private luxury hotel in the Kaloor area based on confidential information received by the excise department.