Mangaluru: 4 arrested for peddling ganja

Mangaluru: Police in Mangaluru upped the ante against the ganja menace in the city. In the latest instance, police in Mangaluru arrested 4 persons in two separate cases under the provisions of the NDPS Act for transporting banned narcotics ganja.

In the first case, 3 persons were nabbed while transporting Charas and Ganja from Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, police said.

CEN Crime police identified the accused as Sukesh Kava alias Chukki (33) of Bajagoli Karkala in Udupi, Aravind K (24) of Coimbatore, and Sunil (32) of Pulkeri Karkala in Udupi. Police said the trio posed as trekkers and bought Ganja and Charas from villagers of Parvati Valley in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. They transported the drugs by train and sold them to students and businessmen in Mangaluru.

As much as 500g of charas, one kg of ganja (marijuana), a Ritz car used for transporting the contraband, and a mobile phone were seized from them. The total value of goods confiscated is estimated to be Rs 8 lakhs, police added.

In another case, CCB police arrested Vijay Kumar Shetty (34), a resident of N R Pura Taluk Chikkamagaluru, on charges of transporting ganja in a car.  A team led by CCB police inspector Shyam Sundar intercepted the car near Kuntikana cross in the city and confiscated the banned drug.

About 10.2 kg of ganja, a Maruti Swift car, a mobile phone, and cash were seized during the operation. The estimated value of goods seized is  Rs 5.65 lakhs, police said. A case has been registered in this regard at the Urwa police station.