Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has found that three teachers arrested in a drug trafficking and sale case were allegedly in direct contact with an international narcotics network based in a West Asian country.
The development comes amid the state government’s crackdown on rising drug use among school and college students through an initiative called “Operation Toofan”.
According to investigators, a man named Rizwan was recently arrested during a search operation. Police say he contacted a West Asia-based number to procure drugs and made a digital payment using a QR code sent to him.
The QR code was traced to a bank account linked to a teacher working at a block resource centre in Perambra, Kozhikode district. She was identified as Kavya, who works under the Samagra Shiksha Kerala education programme. Police later arrested Kavya, her friend Keerthana from Maruthonkara, and another teacher, Neeshma.
SIT officials said the network used Keerthana’s QR code for collecting payments for drug sales in Kerala, allegedly paying her Rs 2,000 per transaction. After receiving money, the location of the drugs was reportedly shared with buyers through GPS details and photographs. The SIT said it is probing allegations that drugs were sold to students and smuggled into Kerala, and is also examining information suggesting doctors may have purchased and distributed narcotics.
