Mangaluru: CCB seizes MDMA worth Rs 6 crore; Largest drug bust in city’s history

Team Udayavani, Oct 7, 2024, 2:44 PM IST

Mangaluru: In a major breakthrough under the “Drug-Free Mangaluru” initiative, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Mangaluru police seized MDMA worth Rs 6 crore. This is the largest drug seizure in the history of Mangaluru, City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said on Monday.

The arrested individual has been identified as Peter Ikedi Belonwu (38) a Nigerian national residing in a rented house in Bengaluru.

The police also confiscated several other items during the raid, including three mobile phones, a digital weighing scale, 35 ATM/Debit cards, 17 inactive SIM cards, and 10 bank passbooks from different banks. The total value of the seized items, including the drugs, is more than Rs 6 crores, police added.

Arrest and seizure

The investigation began after a smaller drug seizure last month. On September 29, 2024, police arrested Haidar Ali (51), a resident of Thokkottu, Mangaluru, who was found selling MDMA near Pumpwell in Mangaluru. He was caught with 15 grams of MDMA worth Rs 75,000. The CCB took over the investigation and gathered crucial information from Haidar Ali during interrogation, leading them to Peter in Bengaluru.

Acting on the information provided by Haidar Ali, the CCB police traced Peter’s movements and conducted a raid at his residence in Dommasandra, Bengaluru. Peter was arrested, and 6.310 kg of MDMA, which was ready for distribution, was seized.

International Drug Network

The investigation revealed that Peter was part of an international drug distribution network. He was supplying MDMA to various parts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru and Mangaluru, and even to neighboring Kerala. This arrest is expected to lead to further discoveries as more individuals involved in the drug network are being tracked down, police said.

According to police, Peter had also been previously arrested in 2023 by Vidyaranyapura police in Bengaluru for similar drug-related offenses. His involvement in drug distribution across multiple states makes him a significant player in this network.