Karnataka: 104 kg of marijuana transported in auto seized

Two men were caught transporting 104 kg of marijuana in an auto-rickshaw from Hanumanthanagar to Goripalya, police said.

Verikala Venkataramana alias Ramanjalu, and Muneer Khan, both 38 and hailing from Mulbagal, Kolar district, were intercepted by Kempegowda Nagar police near Bandi Kalamma Temple Road on Thursday morning.

Police acted after receiving a tip-off that a large quantity of marijuana was being transported in an auto-rickshaw which carried an advertisement of a light bulb company, a senior police officer said. The seized marijuana is worth Rs 25 lakh.

Police have learnt that Venkataramana and Khan, along with an associate named Alam Pasha, smuggled marijuana from Andhra Pradesh and sold it in Bengaluru through local drug peddlers. They used an auto-rickshaw to transport it.

Venkataramana and Khan were caught when they were allegedly on their way to deliver the drug to a local peddler, the officer added. Police also seized the arrested suspects’ mobile phones and are hunting for Pasha, the officer added.