Drug-maker African held with Rs 50 lakh narcotics

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a major drug haul, the Central Crime Branch on Tuesday raided a synthetic drug manufacturing unit and arrested a Nigerian national involved in manufacturing drugs in Soladevanahalli police limits seizing drugs worth `50 lakh from him. A police official said the arrested man, Richard, landed in Delhi along with his brother in 2019 on a business visa. Six months ago, they shifted to Bengaluru and rented a house in Ramamurthy Nagar and then moved to Soladevanahalli near Chikkabanavara where the duo started manufacturing synthetic drugs.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Tuesday raided a synthetic drug manufacturing unit and arrested a Nigerian national involved in manufacturing the drugs in Soladevanahalli police limits in Bengaluru.

Following the raid, drugs worth Rs 50 lakh have been seized, the police said. A senior police official said the arrested man, identified as Richard, landed in Delhi along with his brother during 2019 on a business visa. Six months back they shifted to Bengaluru and rented a house in Ramamurthy Nagar and recently moved to Soladevanahalli near Chikkabanavara. The duo then started to manufacture synthetic drugs at the house.

“The accused used to produce the drugs in the house using raw materials collected from various medical stores in the city, and sold them with the help of a network of associates,” the official said.

The duo used to supply drugs to various parts of the city by storing them in a hidden compartment.

Based on a tip-off from their sources, the CCB sleuths along with Soladevanahalli police raided the place and nabbed Richard along with the apparatus used for making drugs. However, his brother is absconding.

Joint Commissioner, crime, Sandeep Patil said that raw materials used by the accused were easily available in the market. “These drugs are sold in grams and the duo had enough stock to last a while. But this is a rare incident of drugs being manufactured in the city. It is only recently we are coming across such manufacturing units being set up to produce drugs,” he said.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has lauded the efforts of the police team for cracking the case and has announced a reward of Rs 70,000 to the team.

“The interrogation of the accused is underway. We have found leftover raw materials at the house, which clearly indicates that he was manufacturing the ‘substance’ there,’’ the police said.