Excise targets drug peddlers as ‘dead drop’ trend rises in Kochi

Excise here arrested an alleged drug peddler with 1,058 kg of suspected cannabis from a residential area in Chakkaraparambu near Vyttila, even as it said it had stepped up its crackdown on what it called the “dead drop” method of trafficking.

West Bengal native Shah Rukh Khan was arrested by the Special Excise Squad headed by Circle Inspector Ranjith Kumar when he allegedly dumped a suspected consignment of cannabis on a vacant plot near a residential association house number board on Tuesday (Jul 15, 2026), the agency said on Wednesday (Jul 15, 2026).

According to Excise, dealers involved in the “dead drop” method leave narcotics at specific locations and send their customers photos of the landmarks.

Officials said ‘dumping’ dealers collect payments in advance through digital transfers and leave packages containing the narcotics in remote locations. “Households then send photos or videos of the exact location to buyers, who later collect the contraband. Common dumping sites include subway poles, numbered parking spaces in shopping malls, electric poles in isolated areas and residential areas with house numbers,” Excise said in a report.

The department claimed that its recent operations had led to several seizures linked to similar networks. Major consignments of excise drugs include the seizure of 22 kg of suspected ganja from the residence of an accused known as ‘Psycho Sabu’ in Vallarpadam, who allegedly used boats to drop the narcotic near river islands, and 18 kg of suspected narcotics from Selvaraj, a native of Tamil Nadu, who allegedly dropped packets of the drug near an isolated railway track.

Published – 16 Jul 2026 01:50 IST