Bengaluru/Belagavi: In a major crackdown on drug peddlers, Mico Layout police arrested seven people involved in two different cases of drug peddling and seized 22 kg of ganja and 100 gm of charas from them.
The accused, members of an inter-state gang, were selling marijuana to pan shops. In the first case, the police arrested Mohammed Ashraf (25) and Rajesh (24), who are from Kannur in Kerala and stayed at Hennur in the city.
The accused smuggled marijuana from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh for a lower price and sold it at a premium to students and software professional in the city. They had 15 kg of marijuana and 100 gm of charas when the police raided the flat.
In another case, five members of an inter-state drug gang were arrested. Their main target was pan shops in the city. The police seized 7 kg of marijuana from the accused – Rahul Kumar Yadav (24), Ramdin Jadhav (28), Shyam Kumar Yadav (21) from Bihar and Dhanesh (23) and Shabbu (23) from Uttar Pradesh. They lived in different parts of Bengaluru.
Rahul, the prime accused, bought marijuana from one Dileep in Singasandra. He divided it into small pockets and shared it with the other accused, who ran pan shops in the city.
Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy issued an order to the police department to act against sternly peddlers, saying drugs posed a threat to society and to young people.
Cells in 3 dists to prevent sale, supply of drugs
Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy informed the Legislative Council here on Tuesday that the state government has decided to set up cells in three districts to prevent the sale and supply of narcotic drugs.
After a discussion on a calling-attention motion notice of Congress member Ivon D' Souza, Mr Reddy said that there are many cases registered regarding the sale and supply of narcotic drugs in the state. The government will take stringent action against such activities, especially on the premises of educational institutions. The government has decided to set up cells in Mangaluru, Bengaluru and Belagavi, he said.
Mr Reddy said that to register and investigate the sales of drugs, the government will establish 36 police stations across the state. The home department has been told to slap the Goonda Act against ganja sellers. “I have given instructions to police officials in places where drug sale and supply is high. They will focus on Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mysuru and Shivamogga districts, where sales are higher,” he said.
