Drug peddling on the rise in east, southeast Bengaluru

Cops to intensify patrolling, keep watch on eateries, PG accommodations

With drug peddling thriving in many areas in east and south east Bengaluru, the city police are planning to intensify patrolling in these areas and keep  watch on places frequented by local youths and foreign nationals living in the city.

To buy narcotic substances, youngsters from various parts of the city throng certain localities which are in the East and the Southeast divisions of the Bengaluru police. Areas such as TC Palya in KR Puram, Hennur, Banaswadi, Kalyan Nagar, Kammanahalli, Horamavu, Lingarajapuram and Frazer Town in the East division and Marathahalli, Whitefield, Kadugodi, Hulimavu, Koramangala and surrounding areas in the South East division are under the police scanner.

The police are planning to intensify patrolling in these areas and deploy policemen in civil dress to nab those involved in selling narcotic substances, sources in the city police told DH.

“These areas are home to a large number of foreign students, who are suspected to be aiding drug peddling,” said a senior police officer. There are a few more areas in the East and Southeast divisions which are still being identified, he added.

From January 2014 to June 2016, the East division police have registered 41 cases related to drug peddling, while the Southeast police have booked 34 cases.

The number of cases registered by the police in these two divisions is much higher than those booked in the other five divisions, the police said.

A strict vigil will be kept on eateries, cafes, colleges and paying guest accommodations, as these are the places where narcotic substances are being sold. “These places are frequented by local youths as well as foreigners. It was found that local youths, mainly college students are getting involved in drug peddling to make a quick buck easily,”  the officer said.

All the police stations in the two divisions have been directed to put up a sticker saying ‘No to drugs’ along with the contact numbers of  the jurisdictional deputy commissioner of police and assistant commissioner of police. “Over the past few months, we are directly getting several messages on WhatsApp from the public who tip us off on such illegal activities,” said N Sateesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East).

An inspector from a police station in East division mentioned that narcotic substances are easily available in the neighbouring Hoskote of Bengaluru Rural district. The city police will inform the Bengaluru Rural district police to keep watch on a few pockets in Hoskote and surrounding areas.

Nigerian held with cocaine
A Nigerian national was arrested by the Central Crime Branch sleuths while he was peddling drugs near Bande Hosur in Bagalur in east Bengaluru on Monday.
The police seized 260 grams of cocaine worth Rs 15 lakh from Adinife Raphael Ogugua (37) (in pic) who hails from Lagos in Nigeria. The police said Ogugua was waiting for customers in Bande Hosur to sell the substance. The police approached Ogugua as customers and he told them that each gram of cocaine costs Rs 5,000. The police arrested him immediately. He had come to India in 2010 on a business visa and stayed in Mumbai and Delhi. In 2012, he came to Bengaluru and was overstaying. His passport has been confiscated. The police said they were questioning Ogugua on the source of the cocaine.