CCB cracks down on drug peddling ahead of NYE parties in Bengaluru, 8 arrested

Eight drug peddlers were arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in three separate cases. The gang was planning to sell drugs to partygoers ahead of the New Year celebrations.

The authorities found 2.5 kilograms of MDMA, 350 ecstasy pills, four kilograms of hashish oil, 440 grams of charas, and seven kilograms of ganja in the houses and flats of the suspects in North-East and East Bengaluru.

In Kothanur, the police arrested a gang of six inter-state drug peddlers who were storing drugs in a flat. The individuals arrested were Jacob Vinod of Kothanur and his associates Ramana Sanapati from Srikakulam, Irfan and Shaik Mohammed from Kadiri in Andhra Pradesh, and Mohammed Mujahid and Ilias, residents of Neelasandra.

The CCB police received a tip that a person was obtaining MDMA and ecstasy pills and selling them to addicts through his associates. Police inspector Deepak R raided a flat in K Narayanapura and apprehended Vinod on December 19. Vinod had previously been arrested by the Banaswadi police in 2016 and 2017.

Inspector Ashok arrested Vinod’s associates Sanapati, Irfan, Shaik, Mujahid, and Ilias and seized 2.3 kilograms of MDMA, 250 ecstasy pills, four kilograms of hashish oil, 440 grams of charas, and seven kilograms of ganja from their location.

In another case, Inspector Virupakshaswamy R arrested Nigerian national Agbu Chike Anthony, 42, residing in Hommadevanahalli on December 22 and seized 250 grams of MDMA.

In one more case, Deepak arrested 19-year-old Kauo Esse from Ivory Coast on December 27 and seized 11 grams of cocaine and 100 ecstasy pills from him. Esse is a student who came to India on a student visa in 2021 and was living in Banaswadi.