College teacher arrested in Kerala's Nilambur for supplying MDMA to students
A part-time college teacher in Malappuram district has been arrested for allegedly supplying MDMA to students and others, deepening concerns over drug trafficking in educational spaces.
A part-time statistics teacher at Dr. Gafoor Memorial MES Mampad College in Mampad has been arrested in connection with an MDMA supply racket that allegedly reached students, police said. Suhail Peringodan, a native of Mongam near Kondotty, was taken into custody on Thursday (September 17, 2026) in Nilambur, Malappuram district.
The case began with the arrest of three people — Reena T.N., Vivek Vijayan and Subramanian — by a police team led by sub-inspector Arshid K.M., acting on a tip-off. Officers seized 0.4 g of MDMA and 0.5 g of ganja from Subramanian.
Questioning of the trio pointed to Suhail as a regular supplier of MDMA to Vivek and Reena, according to the police. A wider investigation indicated that he was also selling the drug to students and friends.
Suhail, who has taught at the college for three years, admitted during questioning that he was a regular MDMA user and sourced the drug from wholesale suppliers in Kondotty and Manjeri, the police said. A search is on for the distributors.
The arrest has added to mounting concern about the alleged involvement of teachers in drug-related activities. In an earlier case in Kozhikode, three teachers were arrested over synthetic drugs. They were identified as V.P. Neeshma, a specialist teacher at Perambra BRC; K.C. Keerthana, a specialist sports instructor at the same centre; and K. Kavya, a teacher at an autism centre associated with Perambra BRC. The police alleged that the three acted as intermediaries for synthetic drug dealers, finding customers mainly through Instagram and facilitating transactions.
A senior police officer in Malappuram said the involvement of teachers — people expected to guide students away from harmful influences — in drug use and trafficking should be treated as a serious and aggravated offence. The recent arrests, the officer said, raise a disturbing question about how deeply synthetic drugs such as MDMA have penetrated spaces meant to keep young people safe.