In a major crackdown on narcotics trade networks in Belagavi, the police busted a drug selling ring and arrested 14 persons, including a woman from Mumbai.
“We worked hard on this. The City Crime Branch has worked for months to study the case, follow the accused and arrest them,” Police Commissioner D.C. Rajappa told presspersons in Belagavi on Thursday.
They have all been charged under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The police have seized 450 grams of the banned substance worth ₹ 1.35 lakh, a motorcycle and a mobile phone. The team would go around colleges, parks, bus shelters and other public places and sell the substance to known customers. New customers would be introduced through long-time users. A lot of the regular users were involved in the crime, and law and order disruption, he said.
A team of city police, including women officers, went to Mumbai and lay in wait for the main accused, Susheela Poonaswami Devendra. She had been supplying the drug to young students in Belagavi. She was finally arrested on Wednesday and brought to Belagavi. She was found in possession of drugs worth ₹ 1 lakh and some cash.
The other arrested include Yasin Shapuri, 24, Suraj Shivaji Shindhe, 39, Shakir Fayaz Nizami, 19, Tabrez Imran Andewale, 19, Saleem Syed Makandar, 27, Yuvraj Sunil Sarnobat, 26, Saibaz Lateef Balekundri, 19, Iraz Mohammad Shafi, 20, Tabrez Ismail Desai, 19, Waseem Hasan Dalwai, 29, Atish Anil Savant, 24, Shodhan, 24, Suresh Hundre, 24, and Qutbudddin Kalya Altaf Balekundri, 22, all from Belagavi city and surrounding areas.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Amarnath Reddy, Assistant Commissioner of Police R.R. Kalyanshetty, Circle Inspector of Police A.S. Gudikoppa, Sub-Inspector of Police U.B. Kattikar and their teams worked on the case. The Police Commissioner has congratulated them.
