Cops take leads from delivery agents to bust drug networks

After streamlining the process of working with delivery service aggregators, Bengaluru city police are seeing success in dismantling drug peddling networks through the leads provided by these aggregators.

In February, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths were successful in nabbing a doctor from North Bengaluru, based on leads about the alleged ordering of hydroganja using cryptocurrency, from the Netherlands. A senior police officer told DH that the leads were provided by a delivery aggregator.

The officer said several such arrests were made in the last two months through leads provided by the aggregators. The leads have also led to the busting of smaller peddling networks.

“These networks operate in different ways, and delivery service is one of them. Working in tandem with aggregators was crucial, as we can get indispensable information from them,” the officer said. 

For instance, if person A orders something from person B multiple times at the same location, it creates a pattern. Maintaining a database with such details will help the police department conduct an analysis and establish connections. As a result, the police have briefed the aggregators on the various possibilities. They have also been briefed to keep a vigil on unverified sellers.

Plugging gaps

While the police department is seeking crucial information from the aggregators, the cops have also instructed them to conduct strict background checks on their delivery partners.

For this, the police have offered the aggregators to make use of the criminal database maintained by the police department over the years. 

A senior police officer who is part of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) said this will not only help the aggregators keep their employees and gig workers’ bases transparent and clean but also hamper the chances of misusing the platforms, thereby restricting all “illegal activities.” 

“Though the aggregators have their own mechanism to do background checks, there will be loopholes as there is no centralised database of applicants. Now that we are offering their criminal records, aggregators can rely on that for immediate checks,” he said.

According to the CCB officer, nearly 85% of the synthetic drug movement in the city is being operated by foreigners. Many of them are overstaying their visa periods.

The department, without disclosing details, has devised methods to track foreigners involved in drug peddling.