SI arrested for alleged theft of seized drug from police station

A sub-inspector (SI) attached to the Ernakulam Central police station was arrested for allegedly stealing suspected MDMA seized in connection with a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case and kept at the station.

The officer was identified as Anas S. Thaufeeq, a native of Thiruvananthapuram. The Central police registered a case against him shortly after he was suspended based on a Special Branch report. He had earlier been part of the anti-drug awareness campaign conducted under ‘Operation Toofan’.

He was booked under Sections 306 (Theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 21(c) (punishment for offences involving a commercial quantity of manufactured drugs) of the NDPS Act.

The first information report was registered on a complaint by an officer in charge of the strong room at the station.

Suspected drugs seized in various narcotics cases were stored in the strong room before being moved to the godown at the district headquarters camp for disposal. The accused allegedly entered the strong room without permission where a packet containing 87.37 grams of suspected MDMA seized by the Elamakkara police was being kept. The accused allegedly stole the packet and tampered with the evidence, resulting in a difference in the quantity of the drug.

An investigation is under way to ascertain the motive behind the officer’s actions. The authorities are further looking into whether he received assistance from anyone else at the station.