Actors, musicians in Karnataka under scanner after NCB busts drug racket, seizes 'ecstasy' pills

Some "prominent musicians and actors" in Karnataka are under the scanner after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) cracked a drug trafficking racket in Bengaluru that deals in party drugs like 'ecstasy'.

The NCB arrested three persons -- Anikha D, M Anoop and R Ravindran -- on August 21 following seizure of banned drugs acting on a specific input, the NCB said on Thursday.

At first, the NCB team seized 145 MDMA (methylenedioxy-methamphetamine commonly known as ecstasy) pills (60 gm) and Rs 2,20,500 in cash from Royal Suites hotel apartment in Bengaluru's Kalyan Nagar.

The follow-up action led to the seizure of another 96 ecstasy pills (40 grams) and 180 LSD blots at from Nikoo Homes in Bengaluru.

Further, the investigators zeroed in on Anikha, who is allegedly the kingpin of the racket, and recovered another 270 ecstasy pills from her house in Doddagubbi in Bengaluru.

"The preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused used to supply drugs to affluent sections of the society including prominent musicians and actors as well as to college students and youngsters. More persons are likely to be apprehended in this connection by the Bangalore unit," Narcotics Control Bureau Deputy Director (Operations) K P S Malhotra said.

The NCB officials have not revealed the names of the customers on the grounds that it will hamper further investigations.

This was the second drug haul by the NCB in Bengaluru in the past three weeks. On July 31, 750 ecstasy pills (159 grams) that were sourced from Germany were seized at the Foreign Post Office in Bengaluru. This racket was using the parcel route to deal in drugs.

The intended receiver of the parcel Rahman K, who was on the run, was arrested on August 19. "Rahman had been selling ecstasy pills and other party drugs among students of his college and neighbouring ones. The investigation also revealed that the accused had placed the order of MDMA pills online in exchange of bitcoins," Malhotra said.

In another operation in Goregaon (West) and Navi Mumbai, a couple were arrested in connection with dealing in ecstasy pills. The NCB Mumbai unit had seized 3,010 ecstasy polls sourced from Brussels in Belgium at DHL Express India (P) Ltd in Goregaon.

"The pills were seized from a parcel containing soft toys, concealed inside the false cavity in the cardboard box containing the consignment. In a quick follow up action, NCB team further recovered 46 tablets (17.5 grams) of MDMA from the Navi Mumbai residence of a couple. The NCB is investigating the linkages of this case to the wider syndicate trafficking supply of party drugs into India," Malhotra said.

The MDMA or ecstasy is a party drug that alters mood and perception and is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens and produces feelings of increased energy and pleasure. As per UNODC World Drug Report 2020, ecstasy pills continue to be manufactured primarily in Europe, most notably in Western and Central Europe. Europe accounts for two thirds of the “ecstasy” laboratories dismantled worldwide.

The total quantity of ecstasy pills seized worldwide has doubled over the period 2009-2018 and this is also reflected in the rapidly increasing popularity of such synthetic drugs in India, Malhotra said.