Mangaluru Police Crack Down on Drug Trafficking Networks Targeting Youth
In a significant crackdown on narcotics distribution, Mangaluru police have arrested six individuals across two distinct cases for allegedly selling drugs to college students and women within the city. The operations resulted in the seizure of substantial quantities of MDMA, hydro weed (hydroponically cultivated ganja), ganja, and two vehicles, highlighting a coordinated effort to disrupt local drug supply chains.
First Case: South Police Station Bust
According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH, the first case was registered at the Mangaluru South police station under sections 8(c), 20(b)(ii)(A), and 22(C) of the NDPS Act. Four accused were apprehended in this operation: Mohammed Sayyed Afridi, 26; Ahmed Ali Arshan, 22, originally from Koteshwar in Udupi district but currently residing in Pandeshwar, Mangaluru; Maqsood Saag, 23, from Balmata, Mangaluru; and Felix P Joseph, 20, from Kottayam, Kerala.
Police confiscated 53.8 grams of MDMA, 103.2 grams of hydro weed, and a car from these individuals. Acting on a tip-off received on Wednesday, officers conducted a raid at a lodge located on Badriya Road within the Mangaluru South police station limits. The accused had rented a room at this lodge and were allegedly engaged in selling MDMA and hydro weed to college students and women at the time of their arrest.
Second Case: North Police Station Operation
In a separate incident, a case was filed at the Mangaluru North police station under sections 8(c) and 20(B)(ii)(B) of the NDPS Act, leading to the arrest of two persons: Adal Roche, 33, of Kankanady, Mangaluru, and Aaron Vishal Lasrado, 18, of Mallikatte, Kadri. From them, authorities seized 60 grams of hydro weed, 1.1 kilograms of ganja, and another car.
Preliminary investigations have uncovered a broader supply chain, implicating Sandeep Shetty, a Mumbai native who works as a hotel manager in Dubai. Shetty is suspected of being involved in transporting hydro weed to Bengaluru via flight and then assigning Roche to collect and distribute the drugs from Bengaluru airport to designated locations.
Interconnected Drug Network Revealed
The commissioner elaborated that Roche and Lasrado supplied drugs to Afridi and Arshan through Maqsood Saag. Subsequently, Afridi and Arshan allegedly transported ganja, hydro weed, and MDMA from Bengaluru to Mangaluru using a car. The four accused reportedly took a room at a lodge and were in the process of selling these substances to young men and women when police raided the premises and arrested them.
In the second incident, Roche and Lasrado were found sitting in a car at Bunder and were allegedly selling drugs to youths and women at the time of their apprehension by law enforcement.
Police Vigilance and Community Impact
These arrests underscore the proactive measures taken by Mangaluru police to combat drug abuse, particularly among vulnerable groups such as college students and women. The seizures of MDMA, hydro weed, and ganja, along with the vehicles used in trafficking, demonstrate the scale of the operations and the commitment to curbing illicit activities in the region.
Authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the drug network, including potential international links, to ensure comprehensive action against those involved in the supply and distribution of narcotics.
