Award-winning Keralam farmer who used his banana farming as cover for smuggling drugs arrested

The Ernakulam Rural police have arrested an award-winning 31-year-old farmer suspected to be running a drug network under the cover of his agriculture ventures.

Dhanesh S. Nair, aka Dani, of Haripad, Alappuzha district was arrested with 803 grams of suspected hashish oil and 8 grams of suspected MDMA, the police said on Monday (November 9, 2026). The investigating team zeroed in on the accused as part of the probe into the recent arrest of Harikrishnan K.S., 32, of Palluruthy, Kochi with 185 gram of suspected MDMA from a lodge in Aluva.

The accused, who lives near Nanjanagudu, Mysuru, was nabbed by a special investigation team, led by District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) K.S. Sudarshan when he landed in Angamaly. The police suspect he was engaged in drug peddling under the cover of banana cultivation in Nanjanagudu.

Govt. award

He had reportedly pursued a higher education programme in Agribusiness in Germany between 2015 and 2018. He later returned to Keralam during the floods in 2018 and ventured into farming. The police said he had won a government award for the best young farmer in Haripad in 2022.

He had allegedly trained members of his network on how to conceal drugs inside banana bunches. Videos of the accused showing them methods to conceal drugs inside banana bunches were allegedly recovered from his mobile phone. The banana bunches were transported to Keralam under the guise of carrying agricultural produce. He had reportedly recruited youth to transport and distribute the drugs in Bengaluru and nearby areas. The drugs were later brought to Keralam and distributed among local suppliers and consumers.

Earlier, the police had held Shinu Sebastian, 34, of Thoppumpady with seven gram of suspected MDMA following the arrest of Mr. Harikrishnan. The police, sources said, suspect Mr. Harikrishnan and Mr. Sebastian were engaged in alleged drug peddling as per instructions given by Mr. Nair through social media.

Published - November 10, 2026 05:42 pm IST