Sleuths from the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) nabbed two Africans for allegedly peddling narcotics in Electronics City in south Bengaluru. They seized 4 kilos of MDMA crystals worth ₹6 crore from them.
This is one of the biggest hauls of MDMA crystals in Bengaluru in recent times, police said. Police also seized two mobile phones and an electronic weighing machine, among other materials, from the arrested persons.
The main accused had come to India on a business visa. He had been running a readymade garments business in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. When his business incurred a loss, he reportedly shifted to Bengaluru and started dealing in narcotics, which he reportedly sourced from his contacts in the African community in Mumbai. He allegedly charged ₹12,000 - ₹15,000 per gram, police claimed. He smuggled the narcotics from Mumbai concealing the contraband in packets of soap, cornflakes or chocolates to avoid detection.
While he has been remanded in judicial custody, his associate is staying illegally in India. He has been deported, police said.
Police are trying to find the source of the narcotics.
Cocaine worth ₹1.5 crore seized
In another case, Varthur police arrested a youth from Kerala allegedly peddling drugs and seized 16.6 grams of cocaine from him on July 12. He was sent to judicial custody and the case was handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the CCB.
CCB took custody of the accused from the court. On being questioned, he led the police to a house where he had stashed more cocaine. CCB sleuths seized 746 grams of cocaine, worth ₹1.5 crore, from the house.
Stringent action against drug dealers
Bengaluru police had booked a foreigner, named in multiple drug-related cases in Konanakunte, Talaghattapura, Vidyaranyapura and Soladevanahalli, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 in May 2024. A court has upheld this case. The accused won’t get bail for a year, like in the case of persons arrested under the Goonda Act.
In another drug peddling case registered in March 2024, Vidyaranyapura police had seized ₹3.5 lakh in cash and ₹90,797 taken via UPI platforms by an African national allegedly dealing in drugs. They had booked the accused under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. This was upheld by the competent authority, Chennai.
