Three foreigners among 15 held in separate drug bust
Bengaluru: Bengaluru city police, through coordinated operations by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) and various local stations, arrested 15 individuals, including three foreign nationals, in multiple independent drug trafficking cases.
City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh revealed the details during a press conference on Wednesday, stating that narcotics valued at Rs. 21.5 crore were confiscated from the accused.
The seized items comprise 9.4 kg of hydro ganja, 5.6 kg of MDMA, 34 kg of regular ganja, 131 grams of cocaine, 462 grams of hashish oil, 56 LSD pills and strips, along with one car, one motorcycle, four mobile phones, and Rs. 24,000 in cash.
Among those detained are three foreigners from Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa, plus 12 individuals originally from Kerala. Separate cases under the NDPS Act have been registered at Amruthahalli, Hebbagodi, J.B. Nagar, Sheshadripuram, Mahalakshmi Layout, and Govindapuram police stations, with investigations underway.
Hebbagodi police arrested a Senegalese national, Barry Yay alias Okali, who was selling various drugs. From him, authorities recovered 29 LSD tablets, 546 grams of MDMA, 152 grams of hydro ganja, 131 grams of cocaine, and 27 LSD strips, totaling narcotics worth Rs. 1.5 crore.
Initial interrogations revealed that the accused sourced cheaper drugs from Dubai, Thailand, South Africa, and Nigeria, smuggling them by air to Delhi or Kerala. Peddlers then transported the consignments illegally via bus or train to Bengaluru, collaborating with local dealers to supply IT employees, college students, hotels, and pubs.
Govindapuram police arrested South African national Corley Daniel, who had entered India on a sports visa to play football matches in Kerala but was simultaneously involved in drug peddling.
Amruthahalli police caught two Kerala-origin peddlers, Majid and Azad, who concealed hydro ganja inside chocolate and wafer covers. From them, 5 kg of hydro ganja worth Rs. 5 crore was seized; the consignment originated from Thailand and was destined for Bengaluru.
