In a crackdown on drug-trafficking, the Payyannur police in Kannur, Kerala, arrested three individuals in possession of 166.68 grams of MDMA from a lodge on the Perumba bypass road.

The accused – Mohammed Shamnad (35) from Kozhikode, P.K.A. Asif (29) and Mohammed Muhad Mustafa (29) of Vadakkumbad, Ramanthali – were taken into custody late on Thursday (March 27) night.

Acting on a tip-off received by Special branch ASI Manoj, the police raided a room at the lodge where Shamnad was staying. A total of 108.5 grams of MDMA was recovered from his bag in the cupboard, while the rest was found in the pockets of the other two accused.

The authorities also seized ₹1.5 lakh in cash from each of them and a glass pipe wrapped with insulation tape suspected to be used for smoking meth.

The arrested have been booked under various Section of the NDPS Act and produced before the court.

The operation, supervised by Payyanur DySP K. Vinodkumar, was led by Payyanur Inspector K.P. Srihari.