Govt exercises 'zero tolerance' towards drugs, says HM Parameshwara

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday asserted in the Legislative Assembly that the government has "zero tolerance" towards drugs, as he complemented the Mangaluru police for seizure of 37.870 kg of MDMA worth Rs 75 crore, by arresting two South African women. He said work is ongoing in the police department aimed at putting an end to the drug menace in the state, and more intense actions will be taken in this regard in the days ahead. As soon as the House met for the day, Paramehwara informed the Assembly that Mangaluru police had seized MDMA worth Rs 75 crore.

"They (police) had been tracking its transport from Delhi for a long time.This is said to be the biggest drug haul in the state at once. So I wanted to inform the House about this, and I also compliment the officials," he said. Noting that the government has zero tolerance towards drugs, the home minister further said, the chief minister has announced a war against drugs. Accordingly the work is on in the police department.

"We will take the suggestions from the members of the House and we will take action against the drug menace more intensely across the state," he added. Bamba Fanta alias Adonis Jabulile (31), hailing from Agbovillae in South Africa, and Abigail Adonis alias Olijo Evans (30) from South Africa are the two women arrested by Mangaluru police. Stating that the arrests were the result of a meticulous months-long operation by the City Crime Branch (CCB), police sources said that the two women had made 59 trips from New Delhi to Bengaluru in the last 6 months to sell drugs.

BJP MLA from Belthangady, Harish Poonja, too complemented the Mangaluru police, and requested the home minister to ensure that the police are more effective and strengthen them, to make the state drug-free. JD(S) MLA Balakrishna appealed to the government to ensure that more stringent measures are put in place to control the drug menace in the state and a message is sent to the entire country regarding the fight against drugs, while Congress MLA Narayanaswamy appreciated the authorities for the fight against the drug mafia.

BJP MLA S Muniraju, pointing at drug-related activities among students at private universities in Bengaluru, especially in his constituency said, there is a big mafia operating in the city and the home minister should ensure that Bengaluru police too take stringent measures.