Drug peddler escapes from excise custody

Cottonpet police are on the lookout for a 34-year-old drug peddler who escaped from the custody of the Kerala Excise Department at Khoday’s Circle on Thursday on the pretext of relieving himself.

George Kutti, a resident of Kottayam, was nabbed a few days ago with two kilograms of hashish. He had sourced the drug from a Bengaluru contact, he confessed.

Officials then escorted Kutti for a spot inspection in the city. As the vehicle reached Khoday’s Circle, Kutti wanted to relieve himself.

While the officials slowed down looking for a spot, Kutti pushed the two of them, jumped out of the vehicle and escaped. Despite a futile attempt to chase and officials filed a complaint at the Cottonpet police station. They obtained Kutty’s photograph and circulated it across the state alerting police.