Bengaluru (PTI): Bengaluru City Police on Friday said 16 people, including two women were arrested allegedly for drug peddling and contraband worth Rs 5.24 crore have been seized.
The arrests were made by the Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch, they said.
A total of 3,000 MDMA ecstasy pills (1.93 kg), 230 grams of MDMA crystal, 48.75 kg ganja, and 306 grams of hydro ganja have been seized, police said, adding that its estimated market value is Rs 5.24 crore.
During the operations, a total of 16 persons, including eight from other states and two women, were taken into custody on different dates, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said during a press conference here.
"During interrogation, the accused, including the two women , confessed that they were procuring banned narcotic substances such as MDMA ecstasy pills, MDMA crystal, ganja, and hydro ganja at lower prices from foreign nationals, persons from other states, and local unidentified suppliers, with the intention of earning easy money, and were selling them to the public, including college students," he said.
Efforts are ongoing to trace the foreign and out-of-state suppliers who were providing narcotic substances to the accused, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
In a separate special drive, officers and staff of the CCB Narcotics Wing conducted operations in the limits of Bagalur, Whitefield, Parappana Agrahara, and Madanayakanahalli police stations against foreign nationals who were overstaying their visas and allegedly involved in drug peddling, police said.
"Nine foreign nationals were taken into custody. As per the orders of the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Officer), the nine foreign nationals were sent to the Foreigners Detention Centre. Subsequently, two of them have been deported to their home country," he added.
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Paradip (Odisha) (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was raped twice in a day in separate places by her boyfriend and a stranger offering help and then thrown off a four-storey building, leading to her death, in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, police said on Friday.
Police arrested both the accused and booked them under various sections of BNS for kidnapping, rape and murder.
"The incident took place on February 22 after the woman left her house with plans to elope with her boyfriend, who had asked her to come to a temple by promising to marry her. However, he took her to a secluded place, raped her and abandoned her at Rahama bus stand," Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Ankit Kumar Verma told reporters.
As the victim was waiting at the bus stand, another man hailing from Jharkhand, who was heading to nearby Paradip on his motorcycle, saw the hapless woman and offered help.
He, however, took her to the roof of his rented accommodation at a place in Paradip town and raped her again, the SP said.
The accused then threw the woman from the roof of the building, leading to her death, he said, adding her body was found the next morning.
The SP said the victim's brother lodged a complaint at Paradip Model police station on February 25, alleging that his sister was raped and murdered on February 22. An unnatural death case was registered on February 23 following the recovery of the woman's body.
Earlier, in the evening of February 22, the woman's brother had lodged a missing persons case at Tirtol police station when his sister did not return home.
BJD supremo and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Naveen Patnaik, condemned the incident and demanded justice for the woman and other victims of recent rape incidents.
"How many more innocent lives will be lost? From underage girls to differently abled young women, no one is safe. So, is the rule of law still in place in the state? The news of heinous crimes coming from Kanhari in Angul, Kuchinda in Sambalpur, and Paradip is deeply disturbing. Chaos everywhere, insecurity all around, O Mother!" he said in an X post.
"While the government delivers long-winded speeches on women's safety and law and order, the ground reality is extremely alarming. Even in broad daylight, an atmosphere of fear prevails. Despite repeated instances of such deplorable incidents, the government's failure to take any exemplary, stringent action is emboldening the criminals. The government should take proactive steps to spread awareness on women's safety and ensure the rule of law is upheld in the state," the former CM added.
