Fitness trainer, aide held for running courier-based drug network in Thrissur

Representational image | Photo Credit: Getty Images A 32-year-old fitness trainer and his aide from Assam, who is an accused in a murder case in Ernakulam district, were arrested for allegedly running a drug distribution network that used courier parcels to supply narcotics to different places.The accused were identified as Vishnu, a native of Nedupuzha, who runs Viva Fitness Centre and the adjoining Protein Mall at West Fort in Thrissur, and Prajal Gogoi, 34, employed at the establishment. Gogoi is an accused in a murder case registered at the Kalady police station in Ernakulam.The arrests were made by the Thrissur City DANSAF team and the East police as part of Operation Toofan, an anti-drug campaign by the State government.Police get tip-offThe police said the breakthrough came after City Police Commissioner Nakul R. Deshmukh received a tip-off about the activities of the accused. Surveillance revealed that Gogoi was making frequent visits to a courier office near Ambakkadan Junction, close to St. Thomas College in Thrissur.Investigators found that parcels booked through the courier service were being declared as textile consignments from Western Wholesale, another business owned by Vishnu. Further inquiry revealed that narcotic substances had been ‘shipped to multiple destinations using the courier network.’A subsequent search led to the seizure of four grams of hybrid cannabis, valued around ₹1,000 a gram in the illegal market, 464 grams of ganja, and three grams of MDMA. The contraband was recovered by a team led by East police sub-inspector Sadashivan.The police said Vishnu has previous criminal cases registered against him, including narcotics-related offences. Gogoi is an accused in the murder case registered at the Kalady police station in Ernakulam district. Published - July 25, 2026 08:56 pm IST