Kochi police on Monday cracked down on an inter-state ampoule racket and arrested five people for trading and possessing ampoules.
The arrested were identified as Fenix Netto, 27, Shemin, 23, Sulfikar,18, Milton, 31, and Afsal, 32, all residents of Perumbadappu and nearby areas in the city. The police also seized 40 ampoules from them.
The police had earlier received a tip-off about the gang’s operation in Palluruthy areas. On Monday afternoon, the police zeroed in on them and nabbed the five.
The police said the gang, which had inter-state connections, had been smuggling in ampoules to Kochi from Bengaluru and Mysore via Gundalpet.
“The gang had been buying ampoules from certain medical stores in Bengaluru and Mysore. The ampoules, which were stocked in medicine boxes, were smuggled in by an unidentified agent in north Malabar.
It was from him that Fenix always collected the package. The gang used to distribute the ampoules in Alappuzha and Thrissur areas too,” said S. Rajesh, sub inspector of Palluruthy police station.
The prime accused, Fenix Netto, is studying airport management in a private college in the city. He is believed to be the kingpin and the one who lured the other four into the illegal trade. The gang had been selling a single ampoule for `1,000. The police plan to quiz the youngsters and find details about the regular customers.