Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 16: In a major operation under its ‘Drug-Free Mangaluru’ campaign, the Mangaluru City Crime Branch (CCB) police have arrested two men from Beltangady and seized 5 kg 196 grams of MDMA worth an estimated Rs 5.20 crore. The accused were intercepted in Bagalkote district while allegedly transporting the narcotic from Delhi to Bengaluru.
The operation is a follow-up to a case registered on June 25, when Mangaluru CCB police raided a house near the Kulayigudde water tank within the Surathkal police station limits after receiving credible information that narcotic drugs were being sold to the public.
During the raid, police arrested Annappa Swamy alias Manu and seized 15.17 grams of MDMA worth Rs 1.5 lac from his possession. A case was registered at the Surathkal police station, and further investigation was taken up to trace the drug suppliers.
Continuing the investigation, CCB officers gathered intelligence on the drug peddlers and received reliable information that a supplier who had procured MDMA from Delhi was on his way to Bengaluru. Acting on the tip-off, a team of Mangaluru CCB officers and personnel raided Royal Inn Lodge on the National Highway at Hunagund in Bagalkote district on July 15 and arrested Mohammed Alfaz (28), resident of Ameesha Manzil, Indabettu village, Bangady Post, Beltangady taluk, Dakshina Kannada district; and Mohammed Mustafa (28), resident of Vivekananda Nagar, Laila village, Halepete, Ujire, Dakshina Kannada district.
Police seized 5 kg 196 grams of MDMA, valued at Rs 5.20 crore, along with bags and mobile phones from their possession.
Police said Mohammed Alfaz has previous cases registered against him for alleged MDMA trafficking at Konaje police station in 2024 and Urwa police station this year.
Investigation has revealed that the accused allegedly procured the narcotics from Delhi and transported them by car to Bengaluru, from where they supplied MDMA to Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and various parts of Kerala. Police suspect that several others are involved in the drug trafficking network, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining accused.
The operation was carried out by officers and personnel of the Mangaluru CCB unit as part of its ongoing drive against the sale and transportation of narcotic substances.