BENGALURU: The Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police seizes Rs 8.71 lakh from an undertrial prisoner, who had allegedly earned the amount through drug peddling.
Despite being lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara, the undertrial prisoner, Amir Khan, 32, continued to run his drug racket from behind bars. He has been lodged in the central prison for over a year, and all five cases are currently at the trial stage. Khan has five Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases registered against him at various police stations.
A senior police officer said that a drug consumer was first nabbed in the city. During interrogation, the peddler revealed that Khan would instruct him over the phone on where to deliver the drugs and which bank account to transfer the money to.
Khan had the data of drug consumers through which he had communicated with them over the phone. After finding bank details and phone records, the sleuths of the CCB suspected Khan’s involvement and raided the prison. However, by then, Khan had destroyed his mobile phone.
The incident has raised serious questions about the availability of mobile phones inside the jail. Similar incidents have occurred in the past as well in the jail. The police sought custody of Khan on February 14 and collected details of his bank transactions.
They seized Rs 3.90 lakh from his bank account, Rs 81,000 from a relative’s account, and Rs 4 lakh in cash. The Investigation Officer (IO) submitted the seized amount to the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Authority [SAFEMA (FOP)].
Meanwhile, Khan challenged the seizure before the authorities but failed to prove that the money was legally earned. The authorities have ordered to seize the amount.