Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Oct 12: In yet another eye-opening incident that serves as a warning against accepting packages from others while travelling to the Gulf, a person has been arrested for sending a suitcase containing ganja through an air passenger without the latter's knowledge. It is said that the man was provided visa and travel arrangement was made free of cost by the accused who handed him the suitcase.

A complaint had been lodged in Kumble police station, accusing Kodyamme Sufi (36) of handing over a suitcase to Mohammed from Kodyamme Chatrampalla, who did not know that the suitcase given to him contained ganja.

Sufi had arranged for the travel of Mohammed to the Gulf, it is said. Sufi, it is said, had claimed that the suitcase in question contained pickle and it was to be handed over to a person who would him at Doha airport.

Accused Sufi

The incident, which forms the basis for this complaint, had happened on June 28, 2016. Sufi had given the suitcase to Mohammed Basheer from Kodyamme, who left for Qatar that day. After Mohammed reached Doha, Qatar, the police there who inspected the contents of his suitcase, found four kg of ganja in it. They had imprisoned Mohammed Basheer, without showing any leniency even after he claimed himself to be innocent, for the crime of smuggling drugs into that country.

Mohammed Basheer's wife Mumtaz had complained to the police about this incident, and a case was registered against Sufi. Additional sub-inspector of the station, Babu Thomas, arrested Sufi on the night of Wednesday October 11.

Further investigation is in progress.

Meanwhile, Basheer who is in Qatar jail and his family here are trying every means to prove his innocence. The arrest of Sufi has brought some relief and hope to the family.

The incident is a grave reminder of another similar case, where Melwin Fernandes from Karkala had fallen into trouble after agreeing to take a package from his neighbour to Kuwait. The package, unknown to Melwin, had contained banned medicines, which landed him in jail for eight harrowing months, till he was finally proved innocent after the arrest of his neighbour Richard Castelino.