BELAGAVI: In one of the biggest operations carried out in recent years, the Belagavi police have seized 43 kilograms of cannabis (ganja) and arrested six persons, including the alleged kingpin of the racket.
Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, addressing a press conference on Friday, said the operation was led by Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Inspector B. R. Gaddekar, who had been tracking the network for several days.
The breakthrough came when the police intercepted two cars near a roadside dhaba at Hindalga, on the Maharashtra–Belagavi route.
Among those arrested is Ismail alias Saddam Babu Sayad (35) of Kanagala, identified as the mastermind who has been supplying narcotics to Belagavi for the past four years.
He was aided by his associate, Tajir Gudusab Bastwade (29) of Kanagala, and other members of the network, Prathamesh Dilip Lad (29) from Kolhapur, Tejas Bhimrao Vajare (21) from Kanagala, Shivkumar Balakrishna Asabe (29) from Kolhapur, and Ramjan Dastgir (34) from Satara.
According to the Commissioner, Saddam, based in Mumbai, was procuring cannabis from the Madhya Pradesh–Maharashtra border region and Odisha before channelling it into Belagavi through a network of peddlers. His syndicate also facilitated the supply of heroin sourced from Pune and Mumbai.
“The gang had developed a wide distribution chain, targeting youth in Belagavi. We found internal rivalry within the network, as some local peddlers, influenced by films like Pushpa, were attempting to bypass Saddam and source drugs directly from Madhya Pradesh. One of the accused had transacted ₹39 lakh through his bank account. We are verifying bank statements and WhatsApp chats of the accused to trace the money trail,” Borase said.
The Commissioner added that habitual offender Salim Soudagar (48), with 37 cases registered against him, including murder and attempt to murder, had also been arrested recently by Market Police in a related crackdown on criminal elements in the city.
During the raid, police seized 10 mobile phones, a machete, a weighing machine, ₹4,000 cash, and three cars used in the crime.
Calling it one of the largest narcotics hauls in Belagavi, Borase praised Inspector Gaddekar and his team for their sustained efforts. He said the department would announce cash rewards for the officers involved and recommend them for state-level awards.