Kochi: The alleged kidnapping of a 24-year-old man outside a busy shopping mall in Kochi has taken an extraordinary turn, with every principal character in the case ending up behind bars with MDMA after a well-coordinated hunt by the Kochi City police.
Rejoy Bexson Varghese, who police say was abducted over an unpaid ₹46,000 drug debt from Kundannur on Wednesday night, was arrested on Friday with synthetic drugs hours after his release. By the early hours of Saturday, all five men accused of abducting him had also been tracked down in coordinated police operations across Ernakulam and Alappuzha, each ending in fresh MDMA seizures and unravelling what investigators believe was an interconnected drug distribution network.
The multi-district investigation, which began as a kidnapping probe, has now evolved into a major crackdown on an alleged drug syndicate whose members ultimately brought each other under the police scanner.
According to the police, the chain of events began around 9.50 pm on Wednesday when Rejoy, a native of Maradu, rode his scooter to the service road near Forum Mall in Kundannoor after being summoned by Francis Xavier (33), an alleged drug dealer. The police said Rejoy allegedly owed Francis ₹46,000 for an earlier MDMA transaction.
When Rejoy reached the spot, Francis and four associates forced him into a white Maruti Swift car, owned by Shahanas VP, an accused in a 2025 narcotics case registered by the Ernakulam Central Police. Rejoy was taken to a hideout in Aluva, where he was held overnight. He was released on Thursday morning only after he handed over his scooter as collateral and promised to repay the ₹46,000 owed to the gang at the earliest.
What the alleged abductors did not know was that an online food delivery worker had witnessed the kidnapping incident and already alerted the Maradu police, triggering an investigation that would expose the entire network.
As officers of the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) tracked Rejoy’s movements after his release, they raided a rented house in Vennala around 11 pm on Thursday. Inside, police arrested Rejoy along with Binu Mohan (34), an online taxi driver from Puthencruz; Parvathi V (25), an anaesthesia assistant from Haripad; and Sandranjali (24), of Panangad.
During the search, officers recovered 4.88 grams of MDMA, a digital weighing scale and packaging sachets allegedly used for drug distribution. All four were booked under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and remanded.
Hunt for the abductors
A special team led by Ernakulam ACP KG Suresh and the Maradu police, under the direct supervision of Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar, launched a search for Francis Xavier and the remaining members of the gang.
The police said the suspects attempted to escape towards Alappuzha in two separate vehicles. Acting on real-time intelligence shared by the Ernakulam ACP’s squad, Mannanchery police set up vehicle checks along NH 66.
The first breakthrough came around 8.15 pm on Friday near Kripasanam Church in Kalavoor, where officers intercepted the white Maruti Swift. Inside were Francis Xavier, whom police described as a KAAPA-deported offender from Mundamveli, and his live-in partner Arya Podippennu (20), of Kozhencherry.
“Based on precise inputs shared by the Ernakulam ACP’s squad, our mobile patrol intercepted the first vehicle near Kripasanam Church. A hidden pouch containing 2 grams of MDMA was recovered from beneath the driver’s seat, leading to the immediate arrest of Francis and Arya,” an officer attached to Mannanchery police said.
About 90 minutes later, at around 9.45 pm, police intercepted another white Maruti Swift near Ivan Kitchen Hotel on NH 66 after blocking its path with a police vehicle. The occupants, Shahanas VP (29), of Palakkad, and Anoop AK (26), of Kannur, were taken into custody.
During a body search conducted, officers allegedly recovered 11.78 grams of MDMA from Shahanas’ trouser pocket. Shahanas and Anoop were subsequently arrested under the NDPS Act.
“All four suspects intercepted in the two cars were produced before the court in Alappuzha and remanded to judicial custody in connection with the fresh drug recovery cases registered at our station. All four of them were part of the kidnapping gang that abducted the youth from Kundannur,” the officer added.
The final member of the alleged kidnapping gang was arrested in the early hours of Saturday. Acting on specific intelligence provided by the Maradu police, Kannamaly police conducted a search at Kattiparambu in Palluruthy.
At around 1.30 am, officers spotted Smigil Antoney (26) near a commercial establishment. The police said he threw away a packet containing 0.10 grams of MDMA after noticing the patrol team and attempted to flee before being overpowered and arrested at about 1.40 am.
“We picked up Smigil following specific inputs provided by the Maradu Police that an accused linked to the abduction case was hiding within our station limits. He attempted to discard a packet of MDMA when our team approached him,” police sources attached to Kannamaly police said.
The police have registered separate NDPS cases against the accused at Mannanchery and Kannamaly police stations. While the four arrested in Alappuzha have been remanded, Smigil will be handed over to the Maradu police. Maradu police will obtain special warrants to formally arrest Francis, Arya, Shahanas and Anoop in the kidnapping and extortion case.
The police said at least three more people suspected of harbouring the gang and providing logistical support at its Aluva hideout remain absconding, with further arrests expected in the coming days.
