Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru Jun 30: City crime branch police arrested two persons including a woman who is a final year MBBS student, for possessing hydro weed ganja (marijuana) under Ullal police station limits on Wednesday June 30.
The accused have been identified as Minu Rashmi (27) from Kanyakumari presently residing in Suratkal. She is a final year MBBS student at Kanhanghad and Ajmal T Mangalpaady from Kasargod (24). As much as 1.236 kg of hydro weed ganja worth Rs 30 lac to Rs 1 crore, one car, two mobile phones were seized from the duo.
The prime accused Dr Nadir from Kasargod has fled the country. It is said that the accused came to Mangaluru from Kanhangad by train. Rashmi is acquainted with Ajmal and Nadir. On the directions of Dr Nadir, the accused were on the way to Derlakatte in a car to deliver hydro weed to Dr Nadir’s friend.
The accused would buy ganja and supply it in parts of Konaje, Uppala, Ullal and Mangaluru.
Police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, "The hydro weed ganja is cultivated using the hydroponic technique. This technique is practised in foreign countries and the drug is exported. We suspect that the hydro weed is brought from a European country. We have produced the accused before the court. We aim to bust the racket of the hydro weed as 1.26 kg of this drug is a huge quantity. As per the internet, the cost can be anywhere between Rs 2,000 to Rs 25,000 for a gram."
"Primary investigation revealed that they were targeting students of Kasargod, Mangaluru to supply hydro weed. In the last three months, we have been cracking drugs cases effectively. Once the college reopens the movement of peddlers will be high, and our officers will work assertively to crack NDPS cases.
"During our raid, the MBBS student's involvement was revealed in the transactions. When we cracked MDMA cases and arrested nine people including three Nigerian nationals, we not only registered the case but are also backtracking, and doing forward linking of the cases and arresting the others involved," he added.
When asked about whether other medical students were involved, the police commissioner said, "We can't generalize one particular student community and target them. In earlier cases, coolie workers, engineering and medical students were arrested. There are different categories of people involved in this regard. However, we are finding that a lot of people from Kasargod are involved in the peddling process."
He also said, "Cooperation from the public is very important. There is an instance where we cracked cases on receiving tip-offs from the public.
"I have seen several reports in the media which states that there are more drug cases in Mangaluru. But this is because our officers are working effectively to crack the case on a priority basis. If we slack then the drug menace will not be controlled," said N Shashi Kumar.
DCP law and order Hariram Shankar was also present at the press meet.