The police have arrested a suspected drug pusher who fled from an enforcement squad on Friday (July 25) and reportedly jumped into a ravine near the ninth hairpin bend of the Thamarassery pass.
The accused, Shafeeq, a native of Malappuram district, was apprehended on Saturday (July 26) morning from Vythiri, where he had reportedly been hiding in a forest area. According to police sources, residents were the first to spot the escapee and passed on the information to the nearest police station.
Shafeeq was found in an exhausted state with multiple injuries and was shifted to the government hospital in Vythiri. The police sources said that the injuries were minor.
An intensive search operation had been under way through the forest with support from the Fire and Rescue Services squad. Senior officers from the Thamarassery and Vythiri police stations also participated in the overnight operation.
âWe recovered 16 grams of MDMA from his vehicle during a surprise inspection near the ninth hairpin curve. As soon as the vehicle was intercepted, he fled the scene and jumped into the ravine,â said a police officer from the anti-narcotics squad. The officer also said that Shafeeq had previously been arrested in a similar synthetic drug smuggling case in Sultan Bathery.
Published â July 26, 2025 08:30 pm IST
