In a major breakthrough, the Mangaluru CEN Crime Police apprehended four individuals on Thursday for possessing and attempting to distribute MDMA worth ₹1.3 lakh. The seized narcotics weighed 51 grams.
The accused have been identified as Devaraj Poojary alias Devu (38) from Udyavara, Jeevan Amin (32) from Kaup in Udupi, Imran (40) from Moodushedde Post, and B Mohammed Hanif (56) from Dambel, Mangaluru.
According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH, the arrests were made following a tip-off received by the CEN police station. Acting on the information, officers carried out a raid near Padpu House in Padukodi village, Bangrakuluru, where the suspects were reportedly preparing to sell the contraband.
During the operation, police confiscated 51g of MDMA, seven mobile phones, two vehicles, ₹11,990 in cash, and other related materials. As per current estimates, MDMA is valued at ₹2,500 per gram in the illegal market.
The preliminary probe revealed that Devaraj Poojary was active in drug distribution across Udupi, Shivamogga, and Mangaluru, while the other three were primarily operating in Mangaluru city. All four were found to be packaging and selling MDMA in small quantities to buyers.
The bust was executed under the supervision of senior police officials with the support of personnel from the CEN Crime Police Station, Mangaluru. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further investigation is underway.