Panaji: In a significant breakthrough in the Mandrem Police Station’s ongoing narcotics investigation, a second accused has been arrested from Bengaluru, shedding light on a wider inter-state drug supply network.
The case traces back to the night of May 27, when a Kerala native, Afsal Puthiyaveettil (33), residing at Sea Waves Guest House in Morjim, was arrested at the Arambol Fish Market. A Mandrem police team led by PSI Jaydeep Palyekar, acting on specific information and accompanied by two Panchas, conducted a narcotic raid between 8 pm and 10:30 pm. They found Afsal in illegal possession of a substance suspected to be hydroponic weed (ganja) weighing 49.78 grams and valued at approximately ₹5 lakh. He was arrested later that night under Section 20(b)(ii)(A) of the NDPS Act, 1985. Mandrem LPSI Archana Sharma is overseeing the ongoing investigation.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta, in a press note issued today, said that following Afsal's arrest, he was interrogated, during which he disclosed that he had procured the contraband from one Shabeel K. V., a resident of Udhyamnagar near S. S. College, Karimbam, in Kannur, Kerala. He also revealed regular phone communication with Shabeel.
SP Gupta further stated that Afsal’s call data records provided prima facie evidence of frequent interactions and financial transactions between the two, pointing to a coordinated effort in the trafficking operation.
Acting on this intelligence, a police team tracked down and apprehended Shabeel from Frazer Town, Bengaluru, on June 5. He was brought to Goa and formally arrested following all due legal procedures.
With the second arrest, police have now added Section 29 of the NDPS Act (criminal conspiracy) to the case. SP Gupta confirmed that further investigation is underway to trace more links in the supply chain.
