In a late-night operation on Friday, Pantheerankavu police uncovered a clandestine cannabis cultivation atop a rented house. The accused, identified as 27-year-old Koodathingal N P Shafeeq from Mala in Peruvayal, had allegedly been nurturing the contraband plant in secrecy on the terrace of his residence in Kalariparambu, close to Perumannapoyil Thazhathu.
Acting on precise intelligence received from the Special Anti-Narcotics Squad, a team of officers reached the location at approximately 10 PM. As the law enforcement unit approached, Shafeeq noticed the commotion and managed to flee the premises by slipping out through the rear exit, evading arrest.
The enforcement squad was headed by Sub-Inspector Prashanth, accompanied by DANSAF SI I K Abdurahman and Assistant Sub-Inspectors Aneesh Moosan Veedu and Sunoj Karayil. They gained access to the house and discovered a fully grown cannabis plant measuring over seven feet tall. The plant had reached the flowering stage, indicating it was nearly ready for harvesting and distribution.
The rooftop garden was being used as a covert space to avoid detection by neighbours and authorities. Police have initiated a manhunt to trace the absconding individual, and further investigation is ongoing to determine if others were involved in the illegal activity.
Authorities urge the public to report suspicious cultivation or drug-related activities in residential areas. The successful operation marks another significant step in the ongoing crackdown against narcotics in the region.