Three college students including two minors have been arrested at a checkpost at Vandiperiyar of Idukki district for smuggling ganja in an unusual way – stuffed inside mobile phones.

Kerala Excise officers of Vandiperiyar on Saturday night seized three mobile phones, which contained 230 grams of ganja stuffed inside.

“We also seized some tablets used as drugs. Two were juveniles and one is above 18 years. They are all studying in an ITI,” Sunil Raj, Excise Inspector, Vandiperiyar told The News Minute.

“They have confessed that ganja and other drugs were brought in from Kambam. They have also provided information about their source. Since it belongs to the Tamil Nadu range, we have informed the officials there,” he added.

The officer said that the students were apprehended during a regular inspection at the checkpost, when the excise officials found their behaviour suspicious.

“We did not expect ganja inside mobile phones. When we checked their phones they were not working. So we got suspicious and checked inside, and found the drugs,” he said.

Drug smugglers often come up with unusual ways to try and beat detection by the police. According to officials, past cases have involved smuggling ganja inside tamarind sacks to disguise the scent and appearance, stuffing the drug within shoes and tying sacks of ganja in crevices near the vehicle engine.