BENGALURU: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police carried out a massive operation, leading to the arrest of four men, including an international drug peddler. Drugs worth Rs 2.35 crore were seized during the operation, which targeted multiple drug trafficking networks across three separate cases. The arrested individuals include suspects from Nigeria and Ghana.
Among the arrested is a 30-year-old ophthalmologist from Bengaluru from whom 42 grams of hydro ganja valued at Rs 3 lakh has been confiscated. He had allegedly procured the contraband from the Netherlands through an international courier service. Acting on a tip-off, a CCB squad conducted a raid at an apartment in Yeshwantpur on February 24 and apprehended Dr Nikhil Gopalkrishan.
In a separate case, police arrested Kalu Chukwa, a 40-year-old Nigerian citizen, and confiscated MDMA crystals, ecstasy tablets, and a mobile phone, worth Rs 1.8 crore in total. He had arrived in Bengaluru on a business visa in 2023 and was staying at Soladevanahalli. He used to procure drugs and distribute them to customers in Bengaluru.
In another crackdown, officials arrested Emmanuel Kwasy, a 32-year-old from Ghana, and Chainasa Cyprilan Okoye, a 38-year-old from Nigeria, in Soladevanahalli. Officials confiscated 500 gram of MDMA crystals valued at Rs 51 lakh from them. The duo had entered India on tourist visas and started peddling drugs sourced from Mumbai.
CCB raids illegal hookah bars, 7 held
The Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police have arrested seven people for operating hookah bars illegally.
The raids were conducted in Mahalakshmi Layout, HAL and KR Puram police station limits.
The police seized hookah paraphernalia, including hookah flavours, hookah pots and pipes, bowls, hoses and charcoal valued at Rs 12.5 lakh.
HC adjourns hearing
The Karnataka High Court adjourned the hearing of a batch of petitions filed by a hookah bar owners’ association to March 5.
The petitioners challenged the notification dated February 7, 2024, passed by the state government imposing a blanket ban on the sale of hookah products in restaurants.