‘Dead’ for 13 years, Kannur man accused in narcotics cases arrested in Andhra Pradesh

A 56-year-old man accused in multiple narcotics cases and believed to have died while living under an assumed identity was arrested by the Kannur City police from Andhra Pradesh after 13 years on the run.

The arrested person is K.T. Jose alias Korra Josh Babu, a native of Iritty in Kannur district of Kerala. He was an accused in drug cases registered at Kannur Town, Thalassery, Ullikkal, Iritty and Palakkad police stations. He had reportedly failed to appear before the court in a case registered by the Kannur Town police in 2008 and was declared a proclaimed offender by the Vadakara NDPS court in 2013.

Jose was arrested by the Operation Toofan special squad constituted by District Police Chief Vijay Bharat Reddy from a village near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The investigation team was headed by Kannur Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) M.P. Azad and Narcotics ACP V.V. Manoj.