Bengaluru: The Marathahalli police busted an organised inter-state network of ganja suppliers by arresting all the 12 members of the gang, including the main sources, on Tuesday.
The police had to open fire at two main suppliers in the city, Syed alias Farooq, a resident of Hoskote taluk, and Sadiq Sharif, a resident of KR Puram, who allegedly sourced ganja from their contacts in Yarnagapalli in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and distributed among the eight peddlers. The two tried to attack the police party which had gone to arrest them.
The police earlier had arrested Nagaraj (68) and Shahbaz (30), both residents of V Kota taluk in Chittoor district, who allegedly sold high-quality ganja to Syed and Sharif after sourcing it from several people in Chittoor district.
It took a lot of time for the police to unearth the network as the accused had adopted a unique modus operandi for transporting and selling ganja. The accused allegedly stuffed the ganja inside Lays and Kurkure packs after emptying them and sold to their contacts.
After the arrest of the main suppliers, Nagaraj and Shahbaz, the police arrested the eight peddlers who bought ganja from Syed and Sharif and sold across the city. Based on inputs, Marathahalli Inspector Sadiq Pasha accompanied by Sub-Inspector Guru Prasad, Head Constable Ravishankar intercepted a Pulsar bike near Borewell junction on which Syed and Sharif were riding.
As SI Guruprasad and HC Ravishankar approached the accused to arrest them, the accused allegedly assaulted the cops in a bid to escape. PI Pasha opened fire at Syed, while SI Guruprasad shot Sharif in the leg. The police claimed to have seized 2 kg of ganja packed in snack packs and recovered a machete from the accused.
DCP (Whitefield) Abdul Ahad said that each drug peddler had 50 addicts to whom they supplied ganja. The police are making efforts to identify the addicts and send them for rehabilitation.
