Alleged drug trafficking: police zero in on mule accounts belonging to deceased persons
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Bank accounts belonging to deceased persons were allegedly used to route transactions worth around ₹10 crore in six months by a drug trafficking network under investigation following the recent seizure of 1 kg of MDMA at Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode.
The accounts, described by investigators as “mule accounts”, reportedly belonged to deceased persons. According to the police, the accounts were obtained after promising financial returns and were subsequently used by members of the alleged drug network to receive and transfer money, making it difficult for the police to trace the actual beneficiaries.
The latest finding has opened up a new financial trail in the investigation. Officers are continuing with the scrutiny of various other bank transactions as well over the past six months to establish the flow of money and identify other members of the network.
The investigation has already led to the arrest of two more suspected synthetic drug traffickers from Noida. C. Ajmal, a native of Nilambur in Malappuram, and P. Surya, a native of Malayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram, were arrested from a rented apartment there on September 12.
According to police sources, Ajmal operated as a major supplier, procuring MDMA and methamphetamine in bulk from Delhi and arranging their transportation to Keralam through hired carriers and drug peddlers. Surya, a nursing student in Bengaluru and his friend were allegedly staying with Ajmal in the Noida apartment, the sources said.
A police team from Kozhikode raided the apartment before the arrests. Several packets and machines allegedly used for packing drugs were recovered from the premises, according to the police. The two were brought to Kozhikode on September 13 for further investigation and were subsequently remanded by the Vadakara Special Court.
Four other drug pushers had earlier been arrested in connection with the Pantheerankavu case, which was registered in May 2026. Subsequent investigation found that the drugs seized from the group had been supplied by Ajmal from Delhi.
The probe also revealed Ajmal’s alleged links with another major drug seizure in Keralam. A senior police officer with the special squad said his involvement in the recent seizure of over 12 kg of MDMA in Malappuram had also come to light.
Investigators are examining the possible links between these cases and a few other incidents in which commercial quantity drugs were seized. The use of mule accounts for financial transactions had also been detected in the investigation, according to the police. The accused reportedly told investigators that the drugs were sourced from Nigerian nationals.
Cyber Shield, a platform of the police and bank officials to zero in on suspicious transactions using mule accounts, is also active in Kozhikode city. Police sources revealed that several bank accounts are now under the scanner across the State.
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