A police team from there arrested a man described as the leader of the illegal drug trade in the state from his hideout in the Eastern Ghats along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border.
The police have identified the accused as Labudu Ajit Kumar, who allegedly ran the smuggling of drugs like hashish and ganja into Kerala. The arrest was made with the assistance of local police in the region.
According to the police, Labudu was the leader of a drug cartel operating along the Andhra-Odisha border. He hailed from Ananthagiri in Andhra Pradesh. A special team from the Kasaba police station in Palakkad nabbed him in a surprise operation in the hilly terrain.
The operation was launched based on information received from several individuals who were recently arrested with shipments of hashish and ganja. Investigation revealed that the hashish oil was produced from ganja grown extensively in the border areas and smuggled into Kerala through a network of agents.
A few days ago, the police seized two kilograms of hashish oil from a truck at Puthussery near Palakkad. Further questioning of the three people arrested in connection with the assault led the police to Labudu and eventually led to his arrest.
Published – 05 Feb 2026 20:32 IST
