International drug peddling racket busted in Belgaum

The Karnataka police have busted an international drug peddling racket by arresting four persons in the border town of Belgaum and recovering from them 22 kilograms of marijuana, worth more than Rs 200 million in the international market.

Superintendent of Belgaum district police Hemant Nimbalkar told reporters that contraband was meant to be shipped overseas through courier, cleverly concealed in laminated photo frames with images of saints and bollywood stars.

Since April 15 this year, the gang had already dispatched 30 to 35 consignments through courier to various destinations in Scotland, United Kingdom, Zambia, Seychelles, United States of America, Costa Rice, United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

“The authorities in these countries are being contacted to trace the recipients of these consignments, which had been sent from fake self addresses in Belgaum”, Nimbalkar added.

The recovery of marijuana, a psychoactive drug derived from Cannabis plant, commonly known as hashish, in such a large quantity comes close on the heels of seizure of more than a kg of the narcotic substance from a couriered consignment by the Narcotics Control Bureau. The officials of the Bureau had intercepted a consignment from Belgaum, meant to be shipped to Finland, and found pouches containing marijuana tucked away in the photo frames.

The seizure of such a huge amount of marijuana in Belgaum came about after the police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a car that was on the way to Goa from Belgaum. A search on the occupants of the car – Akash Desai and Asif Budanwale – yielded 7.5 kgs of marijuana. Besides, the contraband, the duo had a cash of Rs 255,000 with them. “Though Akash, who is the king-pin of the racket, was carrying a fully loaded revolver, he did not open fire on the police”, Nimbalkar said.

Later, a raid was carried out on their rented house in Chennammanagar, where another 15 kg of marijuana was recovered. The police also managed to arrest their two other accomplices Sajjan Herwalkar and Mohammed Ali. Another gang member Vishnu is said to be at large.

During the police interrogation, the accused confessed that drug had been brought from Delhi to Belgaum via Goa. It was later dispatched to clients abroad through courier, concealed in large sized photo frames. “The packing of the drugs in the frames was so meticulous that it could not be detected even by X-ray machines. And that may the reason why drugs had not been recovered at airports in foreign countries”, he said.

The police also recovered from the accused a high-end luxury car worth Rs 4.5 million, besides a Rs 1.8 million worth imported bike Gold Wing, which has large carrier and go run at a speed of 240 kms per hour.