Bollywood angle to Bengaluru drug case

Bengaluru: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested a Goa-based drug peddler Ahmed (30) on charges of supplying marijuana and other banned drugs to prominent personalities in the Kannada film industry. Ahmed works as a driver with a famous resort in Goa.

The Goa-based driver was supplying the narcotics to a local contact in Bengaluru who has links with Page 3 celebs. The narcotics were also being supplied to tourists and Bengaluru residents. The arrest was part of multi-location raids including in Delhi and Mumbai after an international drug peddling racket, which involved the supply of drugs like Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), had come to light. The NCB seized 3.5 kg of curated marijuana, which they said is imported from the US and Canada. They said the drugs were bought on the darknet and paid for, using cryptocurrencies.

The NCB arrested the drug peddler in Delhi on Wednesday morning with links to Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty. The arrested man has alleged links in the drugs trafficking case pertaining to the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. "Ahmed travels abroad quite frequently. He has links to drug mafia from various countries. The drugs are sourced through the Darknet which provides anonymity to both the buyers and the sellers.

The transactions are carried out using crypto-currency. The marijuana supplied by Ahmed is a rare variety, not easily available in the country. This is in high demand, especially in celebrity circles. Our preliminary probe revealed the drugs are supplied to premier and permanent customers via online," NCB sources said.

The accused allegedly claimed that drugs imported for different countries have been supplied for the Page 3 celebrities of Sandalwood. After the arrest of Ahmed, several celebrities of Kannada film industry could come under the NCB radar. Sources said the NCB could summon some of the celebrities for interrogation.

Filmmaker and journalist Indrajit Lankesh had recently claimed that at least 15 people in the Kannada film industry were involved in drug trafficking. He made the claim a day after deposing before the police to share the information about the alleged drug racket operating in the film industry.

This allegation comes close on the heels of the Narcotics Control Bureau of India busting a major drug racket with a drug haul from the city with the arrest of three people - M Anoop, R Ravindran and Anikha D.

Who is Ahmed?

♦ Goa-based driver

♦ He allegedly has links to Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty

Sandalwood link

♦ He was supplying the narcotics to a contact in Bengaluru

♦ His local contact in Bengaluru has links with 'Page 3 celebrities

♦ The narcotics were being supplied to tourists and Bengaluru residents

How are narcotics procured

♦ Bought on the Darknet and paid for using cryptocurrencies

♦ They are sourced from the US and Canada

August 21:

♦ NCB conducted raids at Nikoo Homes, an upscale gated community in Bengaluru and seized 96 pills of MDMA, weighing 40 gm, and 180 LSD blots

♦ NCB also raided Royal Suites Hotel service apartment in Kalyan Nagar, 145 MDMA pills weighing 60 gm were seized along with Rs 2,20, 500 cash

♦ The NCB arrested Anikha D, a former television actress in Kannada. Cops had seized 270 MDMA pills, weighing 111.6 gm, from her residence in Doddagubbi