The Kerala Police have arrested the alleged mastermind of a drug-trafficking operation involving MDMA and cocaine worth around ₹1.5 crore. The Palakkad Town South police arrested N. Abdul Saleem, a native of Payyanedam near Mannarkkad, on Tuesday.

The police said Saleem was the main organiser and financier of the drug-trafficking network. They took him into custody from his house at Mannarkkad.

The case came to light after the police arrested four persons at Olavakkode with 800 gm of MDMA, 2 gm of cocaine, two LSD stamps, ecstasy tablets, 7 gm of hybrid cannabis and 2 gm of brown sugar. The four arrested on Monday were Mohammed Azharudheen, 30, from Vengara, Malappuram; Beefathima, 27, from South Karnataka; Mohammed Nisih, 26, from Kanjirappally, Kottayam; and Shameer Ahmed, 37, from Coimbatore. Shameer was driving the vehicle they were travelling in.

Vehicles seized

The police said questioning the four led investigators to Saleem. He allegedly brought the drugs from Bengaluru to Coimbatore in a car. He then planned to transport them to Kerala in another car using carriers. The police have seized both vehicles.

District Police Chief A. Abdul Raashi said Saleem was involved in several similar cases in Palakkad and Coimbatore.

The police also found that one of the accused, a B.Tech graduate, used his technical skills to facilitate the operation. Investigators said he helped the group communicate while their phones were in flight mode, making it harder for the police to track them.

The police is set to investigate the source of the drugs and whether others are involved in the network. The investigation will also be extended to locations outside Kerala.