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| Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP
As part of the Kerala Police’s Statewide anti-narcotics drive ‘Operation Toofan: The Narco Hunt,’ the Pallithottam police in Kollam on Sunday arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly cultivating cannabis plants. The accused, identified as Joseph Dean Michael, alias Jose, a resident of a flat at Pallithottam, was apprehended following a raid on Sunday morning.
The operation was executed based on a tip-off received by District Police Chief (Kollam City) Hemalatha M. During the search, officers discovered 22 cannabis plants being cultivated in polythene bags right in front of the accused’s flat. Investigative officers revealed that the suspect grew and dried the marijuana with the clear intention of selling it.
According to the police, the accused has a history of criminal offences. Joseph is a habitual offender who was previously booked under the POCSO Act by the Pallithottam police in 2019. Furthermore, subsequent investigations exposed that he had been convicted in a narcotics case registered by the Visakhapatnam police in Andhra Pradesh for possessing nearly four kilograms of cannabis, a crime for which he served a three-year sentence.
Ms Hemalatha said that the Kollam City Police will continue to intensify strict inspections and raids under ‘Operation Toofan’ to curb the production, cultivation, storage, smuggling, and sale of illicit substances. She also urged the public to proactively report any such illegal activities to the nearest police station or law enforcement officers concerned.
Published – July 06, 2026 10:05 am IST
