A former Kerala Santosh Trophy footballer has been arrested for allegedly using a dating app to facilitate the supply of MDMA, highlighting a new method of drug trafficking.
A former footballer who was part of the Kerala Santosh Trophy team was arrested with MDMA here on Thursday, Excise officials said, adding that he allegedly used a dating app to supply the drugs.
The arrested person has been identified as Najeeb Khan (50), a former player who represented Kerala and a senior employee of Travancore Titanium Products Limited (TTPL), a state-run PSU.
A native of Beemapally, he was currently staying in a rented house in Manacaud, officials said.
According to Excise officials, Khan had been under surveillance for several weeks and was arrested following a raid at a hotel in Bakery Junction on Thursday.
Officials said four grams of MDMA were recovered from his possession.
Khan allegedly procured the drugs from Bengaluru and supplied them to customers using a dating app, officials said.
After finalising deals through the app, he would book hotel rooms where customers would arrive to purchase the drugs.
Excise officials said his mobile phone was seized, revealing details of other persons involved in the network, as well as buyers.
The accused was produced in a court and remanded to judicial custody.