MDMA seized from ambulance with beacon lights & siren on in Thrissur

Thrissur: Police arrested two persons for allegedly smuggling nearly 252 grams of MDMA in an ambulance, which was moving with its beacon lights and siren on, at Vaniampara on Thrissur-Palakkad route on Tuesday morning.Police identified the arrested persons as Faith P Johny (21), of Mannuthi Vettikkal, and Chirayathu Veettil Sandeep (42), of Anchery Valarkavu in the district.Based on a tip-off, the ambulance bearing the name 'Sharon' was intercepted around 6.30am and during the search operation, the MDMA valued at nearly Rs 8.5 lakh was seized from the vehicle. The contraband was concealed inside the vehicle, police said.City police commissioner Nakul Rajendra Deshmukh said there were no patients in the ambulance. "They were bringing the narcotic substance from Bengaluru. They had gone to Bengaluru in the night on Sunday and returned in the night, apparently to evade police attention. They had kept the beacon light and siren on during the trip to Bengaluru and while returning,’’ said Deshmukh.He said police would probe whether the accused had been involved in smuggling drugs earlier too, though the arrested duo said that they were bringing it for the first time.The commissioner conceded that it was difficult to search ambulances as it could mean troubling patients and their relatives. The search was conducted as there was credible intelligence input about the presence of the narcotic substance in the ambulance, he said.Further investigation is under way to determine where the MDMA came from and whether more people are involved in the racket, police said.Police are planning to conduct an awareness programme at hospitals and among ambulance operators to curb the drug menace, said Deshmukh.