Chennai: In a significant operation against drug syndicates, Coimbatore City Police have arrested seven individuals, including the son of a Sub-Inspector, and confiscated a substantial amount of synthetic drugs.
The crackdown, which commenced on Friday, continued into Saturday afternoon.
The arrested individuals include 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 from different localities in Coimbatore. Notably, Mahavishnu is the son of Vijayalakshmi, who serves as a Sub-Inspector with the Economic Offences Wing in Coimbatore.
Authorities seized a large haul of drugs, which included 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).
Additionally, the police recovered ₹25 lakh in cash, a cash counting machine, four digital weighing scales, bulk premium liquor, three vehicles, and 12 mobile phones from the suspects.
Investigations indicated that the syndicate sourced MDMA and cocaine from Maharashtra, while ganja and kush were obtained from Himachal Pradesh. The accused were reportedly living lavish lifestyles funded by their illegal activities, with one suspect in the process of constructing a house in Kovaipudur and others owning properties in the Teachers Colony area.
Legal proceedings have been initiated to seize their properties and freeze 12 bank accounts linked to drug-related transactions.
In a related incident earlier, Greater Chennai Police arrested two men and seized 102 kg of ganja, a Honda City car, and two mobile phones following a tip from an informant in Andhra Pradesh. The arrested individuals, Paraman (45) from Madurai District and Daniel Raja (34) from Usilampatti, were intercepted near the Maduravoyal Bypass Road.
Paraman has a history of offenses including drug trafficking and theft, and he was previously arrested multiple times. Daniel Raja had also faced charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act earlier this year.
Authorities revealed that Paraman, who became fluent in Telugu while running a snack business in Andhra Pradesh, transitioned to drug trafficking in 2019. After being jailed in Visakhapatnam, he formed connections with drug suppliers from Andhra and resumed his operations in May 2024.
According to the police, Paraman and Daniel Raja used a Honda City car to make repeated trips for smuggling ganja, initially purchasing 52 kg for ₹2 lakh and later acquiring larger quantities for sale in the hilly terrains of Usilampatti.
A senior officer remarked that this syndicate exploited the Andhra-Tamil Nadu corridor, utilizing remote areas for storage. Paraman’s connections from his time in jail suggest an organized network operation.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Police have intensified efforts to combat trafficking and use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive substance. Special operations targeting both urban and rural areas have been initiated, addressing the alarming trend of traffickers approaching schoolchildren. In light of this, Director General of Police (DGP) Sankar Jiwal has directed all district superintendents to oversee special squads focused on dismantling these drug networks.
