Pramesh S Jain & Yogesh K Porwar
Officials of NCB Bangalore busted another major drug racket where the peddlers use to deliver drugs to doorsteps through Swiggy food delivery boys in small quantities of 10 to 50 gram.
A total of around 140 Kgs of high grade marijuana,packing materials used for retail packing of drugs and two vehicles were seized.The officials also arrested 7 Persons including the kingpin of the syndicate so far .
Amit Ghawate,Zonal Director NCB Bangalore Zonal Unit,said that based on specific intelligence,the NCB team,Bangalore Zonal Unit in
a systematic planned operation has busted a major drug syndicate which is operating in and around Bengaluru.
The operation started on 30th September and lasted upto late night of 1st of October so far NCB has seized 140 kilograms of high grade Marijuana,seven persons have been apprehended including kingpin cash of Rs.5.2 lakhs believed to be proceeds of drugs has been seized.
Packing materials used for packing of the drugs in small quantities have been seized and 2 vehicles has been seized.
Out of this seven persons three persons has been apprehended at Bengaluru including the kingpin,one person apprehended from Hyderabad and other three persons of this syndicate have been apprehended from shivamoga in Karnataka.
This syndicate they were delivering various drugs at the doorsteps of the customers through swiggy food delivery boys and they used to order the drugs in large quantities via courier mode.
They mastered the technique of drug delivery to doorsteps in small quantity to doorsteps of the customers and especially they thrive during the lockdown period.
But NCB Bengaluru has busted the drug syndicate by carefully planned operation he said.
Another senior officer who is part of investigation said that we intercepted two persons, both residents of Bangalore on Thursday,while they were in the process of taking delivery of 8 boxes contraband from a courier vehicle and loading the same into a Maruti car at Bangalore.
After a Thorough examination of the said 8 boxes,revealed that high grade Ganja was packed in paper packets wrapped with adhesive tapes and seized about 137 kg of Ganja.
Based on the information,the residential premises of the accused at Bangalore resulted in the recovery of cash amounting to Rs.4.81 Lakhs being the sale proceeds of drug trafficking and packing materials used for retail packing of drugs.
One Swiggy delivery boy was also apprehended, who was ready for delivery of the parcel. Further, the search of residential premises of another accused at Bangalore resulted in the further recovery of about 3 Kgs of Ganja,packed in small packets with specific markings on it and cash of Rs 39000 as proceeds of drug trafficking .
In continuation of the investigation,the NCB officials arrested 4 persons in Hyderabad who were the supplier of the drug and handling finance of the network .
Following their leads the officials arrested two more persons part of the network near Shimoga after a high speed chase on friday night.These three persons were travelling in a Jeep.
Explaining the modus operandi of the network,he said that the traffickers instead of going and buying the drugs they book the drugs consignments through couriers by giving the address of non-functional shops or other business establishments.
The kingpin along with associates were operating the drug trafficking in large scale in Bangalore City and its outskirts and were delivering the drugs to their consumers under the disguise of Swiggy delivery boys,
since lock down under Covid-19 restrictions allows such deliveries under service of essential commodities.
This drug cartel has many Swiggy delivery boys in their drug syndicate and mastered the drug delivery mechanism in Bangalore.
The syndicate thrived especially during the lockdown period and used to assure customers of doorstep delivery, the NCB officials added.
Finally NCB acknowledges the dedicated efforts of Amit Ghawate (Zonal Director Bengaluru), Venugopal G.Kurup,(Assistant Director, Bengaluru)along with their team members for the exemplary work done by them he added.
