Bengaluru (PTI): A foreign woman has been arrested for allegedly transporting 121 grams of cocaine, valued at Rs 1.20 crore, from Mumbai to Bengaluru by concealing it in bread covers while travelling in a private bus, police said on Tuesday.

Along with the contraband, a mobile phone allegedly used in the offence was also seized from her, they said.

Police, however, did not disclose the identity of the accused woman.

Acting on a tip-off that a foreign woman residing within the limits of Varthur police station was supplying cocaine to known persons, the CCB Narcotics Control Wing conducted the raid recently and secured the accused, a senior police officer said.

According to police, the woman had come to Delhi in 2024 on a student visa, claiming to pursue studies at a university. However, without enrolling in any college, she stayed in areas such as Ghatkopar, Ambawadi and Nallasopara in Mumbai.

She allegedly procured cocaine from a friend in Mumbai and, as per his instructions, transported and supplied the drug to designated locations, thereby engaging in drug peddling and earning illegal money, police said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that she frequently travelled from Mumbai to Bengaluru in private buses and transported cocaine by concealing it in covers of bread and similar products to evade detection, the officer said.

A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Varthur police station. The accused is presently in judicial custody, police added.

In another incident, police arrested two persons from another state for allegedly selling prohibited narcotic drugs in Bengaluru.

With their arrest, police claimed to have seized 247 grams of hydro ganja and 19 grams of MDMA, together valued at Rs 26.90 lakh.

The arrests were made on December 21 after Jalahalli police station staff received information that some persons were in possession of prohibited narcotic drugs and were selling them to customers near Kalingarao Circle, within the limits of the police station.

Following a raid, the accused duo were secured and, during interrogation, allegedly confessed that with the intention of earning more money, they had purchased hydro ganja and MDMA at a low price from an unknown person and sold them to customers at a higher price, the officer said.

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Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.

The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.

On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."

His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.

In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”

Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”

Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.

After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.

“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.

“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”

Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.

Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay. 

Chaotic end to a poor season

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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.

It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.

Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.

Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.