Drugs worth Rs 7.7 crore were seized and 19 people, including 14 foreign nationals, were arrested in a series of recent raids in Bengaluru, the police said in a statement on Wednesday. The seized drugs included hydro ganja and MDMA.
In one of the more significant raids, the police said they received information that a Kenyan woman, who had arrived last year on a tourist visa and was working as a hairdresser in Kammanahalli, was involved in selling drugs. The Central Crime Branch’s anti-narcotics wing arrested her in a raid in Varthur, seizing 2.04 kg of MDMA worth Rs 4.08 crore, along with a weighing scale. She was allegedly selling MDMA to customers after sourcing it from two other accused from Tanzania and Nigeria, who are currently absconding, the police said.
The police further revealed that a Nigerian woman was arrested for allegedly selling drugs in the jurisdiction of Suddagunte Palya police station, with 760 grams of MDMA valued at Rs 1.52 crore seized from her.
With several foreign nationals allegedly being involved in these crimes, the police conducted a raid in the jurisdiction of the Hebbagodi police station and detained 11 foreign nationals without valid passports or visas.
“They were produced before the FRRO [Foreigners Regional Registration Office] for further verification of the documents and initiating further legal processes. As per the orders of the FRRO, the detained foreign nationals have been sent to the Foreigners Detention Centre, and legal procedures for deportation are in progress,” the statement said.
A First Information Report has been registered under the provisions of the Foreigners Act against one Shivarama Krishna, 42, and Sangappa Patil, 35, for allegedly renting homes to foreigners without adhering to the legal requirements to do so, the police said.
In related news, five more drug dealers were arrested in Mahadevpura, and 600 grams of hydro ganja worth Rs 60 lakh were seized from them. They had been selling drugs on the instructions of another accused, who is currently absconding, while staying in a rented premises in Byatarayanapura, the police said. Suspicious parcels were also seized at the Foreign Post Office, allegedly containing narcotics concealed and sent by foreign nationals.
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“Officials seized 1.5 kg of hydro ganja valued at approximately ₹1.5 crore, along with other materials. The accused had concealed the drugs inside biscuit and chocolate packets of foreign brands and imported them from Thailand and France. A case has been registered under the NDPS [Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances] Act at K G Nagar police station, and efforts are ongoing to trace the accused,” the statement added.