Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Police have arrested 39 people, including eight foreign nationals, in a major crackdown on drug trafficking under the ‘Beda Bro’ campaign, an initiative under Mission RISE and the city police’s campaign against drugs.
It can be noted that RISE stands for Refuse, Inform, Support, Empower, focusing on community participation and awareness against narcotic drugs. The initiative ‘Beda Bro’ targets Gen Z youth by educating them about the physical, psychological, social, and legal consequences of drug addiction while encouraging responsible choices and resistance to peer pressure.
The arrests were made during a series of operations conducted by police teams attached to 16 police stations and the CCB Anti-Narcotics Wing across Bengaluru. Police seized narcotic substances and other items with a total value of Rs 28.07 crore, while their estimated market value was put at Rs 55.80 crore.
According to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, the operations were carried out following credible information received by police about the sale and distribution of prohibited narcotic substances in different parts of the city.
The operations were conducted under the jurisdictions of Amruthahalli, Girinagar, CCB Anti-Narcotics Wing, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Yeshwanthpur, Yelahanka, Hebbal, Nandini Layout, Kadugodi, Malleswaram, Govindapura, Bagaluru, Mahadevapura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Begur and Kothanur police stations.
During the raids, police seized 21 kg 641 grams of MDMA, 738 grams of cocaine, 4 kg 493 grams of hydro ganja, 184 kg 625 grams of ganja, 1 kg 65 grams of opium and 25 grams of morphine.
In addition to the drugs, police seized Rs 17 lakh in cash, 22 mobile phones and five two-wheelers allegedly used in connection with the drug trade.
Of the 39 people arrested, eight are foreign nationals, 21 are from other states and 10 are local residents, police said.
According to the police, cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the respective police stations based on the information received from informants. Raids were subsequently conducted at the locations identified during the investigation, leading to the arrests.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly told investigators that they had been purchasing narcotic substances at low prices from unidentified suppliers from foreign countries, other states and within Karnataka and selling them at higher prices to the public and college students to make quick profits.
Police said efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the alleged suppliers who provided the narcotic substances to the accused.
“Investigations are in progress, and efforts are continuing to trace and apprehend the unidentified persons who were supplying the prohibited narcotic substances to the accused,” the police said.
The 39 accused were produced before the court on different dates and were subsequently remanded to judicial custody, according to the police.
The Bengaluru Police said the crackdown forms part of their continued efforts under Mission RISE and the ‘Beda Bro’ campaign to curb the circulation and sale of narcotic substances in the city.
(IANS)
