Days after massive drug bust in Bengaluru, 3 police inspectors suspended for negligence

Three Bengaluru police inspectors were suspended for negligence after a drug bust worth ₹1.2 crore exposed illegal manufacturing in their jurisdictions. (Image used for representation purpose)

Days after an interstate operation led to the seizure of illegal drugs worth Rs 1.2 crore in Bengaluru, three city police inspectors were suspended on Monday for alleged negligence in duty.

Inspectors Chethan Kumar, Ramakrishna Reddy, and Srinivas of Kothanur, Avalahalli, and Bagaluru police stations, respectively, were suspended for allegedly failing to identify and prevent the manufacturing and storage of drugs in their jurisdictions. They have also been accused of failing to gather intelligence despite the ‘Mane Manege Police’ initiative, which was part of the force’s outreach to the public.

Last week, the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), the Mumbai police, the Bengaluru City police, and the Narcotics Control Bureau conducted raids in several parts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, leading to the seizure of a massive haul of drugs.

The joint operation led to the seizure of 4.2 kg of mephedrone from a house in Yerappanahalli, a village in the Avalahalli police station limits, along with 17 kg of raw material (in liquid form), other chemicals, barrels, mixers, and other equipment. Another mixer was recovered at N G Gollahalli in Kothanur. No functional lab or factory was located at any of the raided places. Raw materials stocked at a carpenter shed in Kannur were also seized, the police had said.

While state Home Minister G Parameshwara said that drugs worth Rs 1.2 crore were seized, the Maharashtra ANTF claimed that they had seized narcotics worth Rs 55 crore.

On Monday, the Central Crime Branch police announced the arrests of a Nigerian national and a delivery executive, in two separate incidents, for allegedly peddling drugs. Narcotics worth Rs 2.5 crore were seized, the police added.

In the first instance, Christopher, 45, a Nigerian national, was arrested for allegedly possessing 1.70kg of MDMA crystals, 60 ecstasy pills, Rs 2 lakh cash and other materials worth Rs 2.25 crore. According to the police, Christopher was in India last year on a business visa and was sourcing MDMA at lower prices, allegedly from foreign nationals based in Delhi and Mumbai.

In another incident, a 26-year-old delivery executive was arrested, with 100 LSD strips, 5 gm of cocaine and other materials worth Rs 25 lakh allegedly in his possession. The accused was identified as Naveen Raj, who hails from Tamil Nadu and worked as a delivery executive with an online commercial company in Bengaluru. According to the police, Raj used to buy the drugs at a lower cost and sell them to customers at a higher price.