ALAPPUZHA: A woman drug peddler and her accomplice were arrested with high-grade ganja worth over two crores in the narcotics market in this coastal district on Wednesday morning, the excise department said.
The arrested individuals were identified as Taslima Sulthana (41), a resident of Chennai, and Firoz (26), a native of Mannanchery, they added.
Although the woman, known as Christina among drug peddlers, hails from the neighbouring state, her narcotics business and dealings were based in Kochi, an excise official stated.
"Based on a tip-off we received, we had been tracking them for some time. The accused were taken into custody from Omanapuzha Coastal Road in the morning," he said.
The ganja was found packed in three packets in their possession and is estimated to be worth over two crores in the drug market, he added.
According to her statement, the banned contraband was brought to the state for distribution in the tourism and film industries.
"She claimed that she used to supply drugs to film personalities and even mentioned the names of some prominent actors. However, we cannot disclose those names unless we verify her claims," he said.
The excise officer also stated that they found some chats and WhatsApp conversations on her phone, allegedly involving film personalities.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation into this. The authenticity of these conversations can only be confirmed after verification, " he added.