Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS): As part of its ongoing crackdown on the drug menace in and around Bengaluru, the city police busted a well-organized drug supply network involving college students, courier boys and delivery boys who were working in reputed startups here on Monday.

The police seized drugs worth Rs 2.2 crore, including 235 kg ganja (marijuana), 1,100 strips of LSD, 980 ecstasy tablets and 450 gm of MDMA crystals, and arrested 30 persons allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the city, mainly supplying the student community in the city.

Speaking to reporters, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant said the entire network was operated by drug abusers-turned-peddlers in east and south-east Bengaluru.

"Almost all drug abusers are college-going students. They are in their teens and unable to foot the growing bill of their addiction, they have indulged in drug trafficking as well. Besides this, the police have also unearthed the growing nexus between courier boys and delivery boys who have turned peddlers in these cases," he said.

In response to a question, the east division Additional Police Commissioner (Law and Order, east), S Murugan said although their preliminary investigation does not point to any direct or indirect role of these delivery startups in these cases it was evident that some of the delivery boys working in such startups were hand in glove with such groups.

"These drug peddlers after procuring drugs through a dark web, generally tend to look for vulnerable delivery boys and offer them lucrative deals. For instance, a delivery startup offers anywhere between Rs 30 to Rs 40 per delivery whereas these peddlers offer them Rs 500 per delivery. Such being the case, vulnerable delivery boys not only fall prey to such machinations but also become drug addicts eventually," he explained.

Answering another question, Murugan said at present two delivery boys have been booked under the NDPS Act for being allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the city.