Bengaluru, July 31 : The City police department is waging a war on narcotics and drug peddlers, busting multiple racketeers of late.
Marijuana or ganja has emerged as the most peddled and seized drug in Bengaluru in the first six months of 2020.
"We are waging a war against drugs.
Trying hard to collect information and pursue further," told Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kuldeep Jain to IANS.
On Wednesday, the crime branch busted a darknet drug racket involving four educated Kerala youngsters, targeting pub hopping youth and seized drugs worth Rs 1.25 crore.
The case assumed such significance that the state Home Minister Basavaraj S.
Bommai himself and Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao attended the press conference.
Last weekend, Bengaluru East DCP S.
D. Sharanappa conducted a special drive against drugs, arresting 29 people including a Nigerian national, and booking 29 cases in just 48 hours.
"Seized MDMA, ganja drugs.
Watch also kept on hotels and lodges being misused for narcotics during Covid," said Sharanappa highlighting that the special drive was continuing.
Similarly, Bengaluru South DCP Rohini Katoch Sepat had also conducted a weekend drive against drugs, registering 18 cases and arresting 19 persons.
Sepat appealed to the people to come forward and fight the drug menace alongside the police, asking for tip-offs on 1908 or 100 police numbers.
To reinforce the police crackdown further, Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil has invited the general public to call toll free number 1908 to report on drugs and narcotics.
"1908 toll free number to report drugs and narcotics related issues. So far this year, received 18 calls but 18 is a very small number. Request more to come forward, amplify our action against drugs," said Patil.
Incidentally, the 18 tip-offs lead to raids and cases while Patil promised protecting the informants' identity.
Bengaluru police social media handles are also reaching out to the public actively, asking for leads in busting the drug rackets.
Bommai warned managements of educational institutions that they will be held liable if banned drugs are found in their institutions' premises.
Recently, Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gautam Sawang said drug dealers in Visakhapatnam have links with similar others in Bengaluru, after a drug peddling quartet was busted.
Sawang said drugs peddlers are sourcing MDMA and LSD from Bengaluru and Goa.
On June 26, International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the CCB displayed the total quantity of drugs seized in the city in the first six months of 2020, amounting to 312 kg marijuana and others.
"As many as 510 ganja cases have been registered, leading to the seizure of 312 kg of ganja in 2020," said Jain then.
Cases and seizures of other drugs paled in comparison to marijuana.
Only one case each has been registered for brown sugar, opium and others.
Hashish was the only other seized narcotic which weighed more than a kg at 17 kg while the rest of the drugs were all under a kg.
Other banned substances included charas, cocaine and MDMA.
Police also seized 91 papers of LSD and 550 tablets belonging to the Yaba, Restyl, Anxit and Nitrosun category of drugs.
A total of 781 Indians and 14 foreigners had been arrested in drugs cases.
Bommai, Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood and Rao were among the officials who commemorated the event and took a pledge reaffirming zero tolerance policy on drugs.
Police also roped in celebrities such as Milana Nagaraj, Darling Krishna and Anil Kumble to send across the message to give up drugs.
The police department had also rewarded those policemen who performed well in the war against drugs.
(Sharon Thambala can be contacted at thambalasharon@gmail.com)
--IANS
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Source: IANS
