KASARGOD: In a joint operation, the Manjeshwar and Melparamba police seized more than 3kg of MDMA, besides cocaine and marijuana, from a house in Kasaragod’s Uppala near the Kerala-Karnataka border on Friday, in one of the largest drug busts in the district. One person has been arrested.

According to the police, 3.4kg of MDMA, 96.96g of cocaine, 640g of marijuana and 30 capsules of an intoxicant were seized from the house of Askar Ali, 26, near Pathwadi in Mulinja village, Uppala. The seized drugs are worth approximately Rs 1 crore, said the police.

“The action was taken based on reliable information. The capsules have been sent for forensic analysis. We will crack the supply chain and identify the financial source,” Kasaragod district police chief Shilpa Dyavaiah told reporters on Saturday.

She said she could not divulge more information lest it affect the probe.

The raid was carried out based on the information received by Melparamba SHO Santhosh Kumar A, who then contacted Manjeshwar SI Nikhil K K. The drugs were found in Askar’s bedroom.

The Manjeshwar police have booked him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1895. The police said Askar, who holds a degree but is unemployed, was previously involved in an NDPS case. He lived at the house with his family.

Meanwhile, the arrest of the “well-behaved” youth has shocked the residents of Mulinja village.

“Askar hails from a well-off family. He was involved in a money chain scheme and lost money. We cannot believe he would end up in such a situation, as he was a well-behaved and good man,” said Mangalpady grama panchayat member Abdul Rahiman T M, who was present at the spot during the search.

As many as 136 NDPS cases have been registered in Kasaragod ever since Shilpa took charge as the district police chief on August 23.