Police nab five drug peddlers after a parent reports ward’s addiction to cannabis

Police nab five drug peddlers after a parent reports ward’s addiction to cannabis

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 4, 2025: The Mangaluru Police on July 2 arrested five persons allegedly involved in selling cannabis to over 200 persons in city.

The arrested persons were identified as Tushar of Bikarnakatte, 21; Dhanvi Shetty of Naguri, 20; Sagar Karkera of Jalligudde, 19; Vikas Thapa of Shakti Nagar, 23; and Vignesh Kamath of Alake Kandettu, 24.

In a release, police said the accused were nabbed while they were preparing to sell cannabis in Halady of Padushedde village on July 2. The police recovered ₹5.2 lakh worth of cannabis packed in small packets weighing a total of 5.759 kg. The accused sold the small packet for ₹1,000 each, the police stated.

In a video statement, Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said a parent came to his office recently to inform him that his child was addicted to drugs, following which a team from the Cyber Economic and Narcotic Crime (CEN) station was asked to investigate. “The CEN team worked systematically and caught the five alleged drug peddlers, who were making plans to distribute cannabis to over 200 people,” Mr. Reddy said.

Urging more parents of wards suffering from drug addiction to come forward with factual information, Mr. Reddy said the police will treat those with drug addiction as victims and provide necessary support for their rehabilitation. The police will take information from victims and use it to catch drug peddlers. “If more people come forward, more drug peddlers can be booked,” he said.  

MDMA seized

In another case, the Central Crime Branch police, on Thursday, arrested Abdul Kabir alias Pariwala Kabir, 36, of Asasigoli, and seized 12.5 grams of MDMA worth ₹1.2 lakh from his possession. The police said Kabir had procured the drug from Mumbai and was selling it to students and others, in a car, on the Mudipu-Kambalapadavu KIADB Road. The police also seized the car.

In a statement, the police said Kabir was accused in 15 cases of cattle theft registered in Panamabur, Mangaluru South, Mangaluru North, Mangaluru East, Kankanady, Ullal, Bajpe, all within the police station limits of Mangaluru City, Uppinangady in Dakshina Kannada, and Madikeri Rural in Kodagu district. He had not appeared before the courts after obtaining bail two years ago, the police said.