MANGALURU: Mangaluru city police on Wednesday seized 108kg of “bhang” chocolates, suspected to be laced with some intoxicants, during raids on two petty shops at Carstreet and Falnir.
Mangaluru city police commissioner Kuldeep Kumar R Jain told TNIE that on a tip-off, a police team led by ASI Damodara and constable Sunil Kumar raided a pan shop owned by one Manohar Shet next to Vaibhav Pooja Sales at Carstreet and seized the chocolates which were being sold there.
In another raid, constables Lakshmana Salotagi and Harish KJ seized “bhang” chocolates being sold in a shop run by one Bechan Sonkar near Highland Hospital at Falnir. The value of the seized chocolates has been put at Rs 53,000.
Sources said these chocolates are being sold to school and college students in the city. Jain said some chocolate samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) for tests. Based on the FSL report, further action will be taken.
“Each chocolate costs around Rs 30 and shopkeepers procure them from Uttar Pradesh. The FSL report will reveal whether the chocolates contain intoxicants. Such a huge quantity of intoxicant chocolates was seized here for the first time. These chocolates are sold near hospitals and educational institutions,” the commissioner said.
City-based Link De-Addiction Centre administrator Lydia Lobo said such chocolates laced with ganja or other banned substances are easily available in the market. “It is very dangerous if such chocolates are made available to students. We should create awareness among parents and students about such drug-laced items,” she added.