Udupi: Acting on credible information, Malpe police arrested three persons involved in drug peddling near Gujjarbettu, Paduthonse, on Friday evening.

Operation near Gujjarbettu

According to police sources, at around 4:45 pm, a team led by sub-inspector of police (Crime & Security) Anil Kumar D from Malpe police station rushed to the spot where four men were loitering near a yellow Honda Shine motorcycle. On noticing the police, one of the suspects, who was on a KTM motorcycle, fled the scene, while three others were secured and interrogated.

Accused identified

The arrested have been identified as:

  • Achyuth N alias Kiran Mendon (45), resident of Boluru, Urwa, Ashok Nagar, Mangaluru

  • Puneeth alias Puneeth Raj (24), resident of Gujjarbettu

  • Chandrakant Katwa, a native of Odisha presently residing in Paduthonse, Malpe

    • The suspect who escaped has been identified as Kishore of Kolalagiri.

    Drugs and vehicles seized

    During a search of the motorcycle, police recovered small packets of ganja weighing 3 grams 480 milligrams, valued at approximately ₹3,000, and MDMA worth around ₹10,000. Officers also seized the KTM motorcycle used in the crime, valued at ₹1.5 lakh.

    Police confirmed that the accused were in possession of the narcotics with the intent to sell. The seized substances and the arrested persons have been taken into custody.

    Case registered

    A case has been registered at Malpe police station, and efforts are on to track down the absconding accused, Kishore. Investigations are underway to determine the source of the drugs and the wider network involved.