Bangalore turns transit point for drug peddling?

This year alone, the Central Crime Branch has seized brown sugar worth Rs 60,00,000 in the international market.
Bangalore turns transit point for drug peddling?

Drugs and narcotics peddlers in the city are back in the limelight.

 This year alone, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has seized brown sugar under 22 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act (Brown Sugar) worth Rs 60,00,000 in the international market.

 Speaking to City Express, B Dayananda, joint commissioner of police (Crime-East) says, “We've always been on the look out and our focus is definitely on drugs peddling in the city. We are keeping a close watch on it.”

On November 7, the CCB arrested two men from the Bangalore International Airport. They were using unemployed youth as couriers to carry drugs to Malaysia by offering them free foreign trips and loads of money. In this particular case, CCB seized 10 kg amphetamine and psychotropic substances.

 Prior to this case, on October 5, the Bangalore zonal unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau seized nearly five kg of heroin from Tirupati when the four people carrying the substance were on their way to Bangalore. The value of the substance stood at Rs 5 crore in the international market.

 Later, the authority informed that the four were suspected to have carried the heroin from Rajasthan which was to be sold in Bangalore.

 Similarly, on October 19, the government railway police (GRP) busted a Manipurbased gang of drugs peddlers at the Guwahati Railway Station. The police seized a consignment of Rs 3.40 lakh narcotic tablets which was on its way to Manipur from Bangalore.

On the series of recent cases, B Dayananda says, “In Bangalore, drugs are used for two purposes. Firstly, for consumption and secondly, the city is being used by many as a transit point. Another scary trend that we have observed is that a lot of foreign nationals are involved in drugs peddling activities in the city. We have alerted our staff and have been keeping tight vigilance.”

As per the statistics, the year 2012 has seen lesser number of seizure compared to last two years. As of now, in 2012, the total value of substance recovered is Rs 1,35, 70,000 whereas in 2010 it was Rs 2,25,60,00 and in 2011, it stood at Rs 1,67,65,000.

Over the last few years, the demand for cocaine has seen an upward trend. In 2010, substance valuing Rs 79, 25, 000 was recovered, while in 2011 Rs 48, 80, 000 and in 2012, Rs 53,00,000 were recovered. In 2012, there were no opium seizures.

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