Keralam: Seven arrested in Kasaragod MDMA case; CM Satheesan admits knowing two accused

Kasaragod (Keralam) [India], September 1 (ANI): The total number of arrests in connection with the seizure of 139.29 grams of MDMA in Kasaragod has risen to seven, with a Ghanaian national and a woman among the latest accused arrested by the special investigation team, police said.
Superintendent of Police Kasaragod Nidhinraj P told ANI that Ghanaian national Victor Dasaba and Riya Khan, also known as Sathi Shaikh, were apprehended by the special investigation team in connection with the drug syndicate case.
According to police, Victor Dasaba is among the key accused being investigated in the case.
The latest arrests were made as part of an investigation into the seizure of 139.29 grams of MDMA in Kasaragod.
Special investigation teams have been tracking leads across Madhya Pradesh, Kollam and Kasaragod as part of the probe into the alleged drug network.
With the latest arrests, seven people have now been arrested in the case, police said.
The development has also triggered a political controversy in Kerala after Chief Minister V D Satheesan admitted knowing two of the accused following allegations by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) linking the accused to him.
Satheesan's admission has become a point of political discussion even as the police investigation into the alleged drug syndicate continues.
The police are examining the role of the accused and their alleged links as part of the wider probe. Investigators are also following leads across multiple states to establish the network involved in the procurement and distribution of MDMA.
On Monday, State Minister Ramesh Chennithala highlighted the seizure of 97 grams of MDMA in Manjeri under the state's Anti-Drug crackdown 'Operation Toofan'. The Minister said that the seizure had led Keralam Police to 12.794 kilograms in Coimbatore.
"The first seizure was not the end of the investigation. It became the beginning of a trail that took our officers across the state border to a much larger network. This is what Operation Toofan is about. Follow the drug. Find the network. Go to the source," he said. (ANI)