Kodagu police bust international drug network; hydro ganja worth Rs 3 crore seized

Madikeri: The Kodagu district police have busted a network that was transporting expensive hydro ganja, a narcotic substance, from Bangkok to Dubai via Kodagu. The police have arrested a total of seven, including individuals from Kerala, and seized 3.31 kg of hydro ganja worth Rs three crore from them.

The accused were transporting the drugs from Bangkok to Kodagu through Bengaluru International Airport and then smuggling them to Dubai by air, District Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan stated in a press conference on Wednesday.

“Hydro ganja, which is grown in air-conditioned rooms using artificial light, is easily available in Bangkok. Only the wealthy consume it by paying exorbitant prices. Currently, it is not known whether the accused were selling it to locals. They had stored the narcotic substance brought from Bangkok in a house in Gonikoppa, Kodagu, with the intention of transporting it to Dubai. Five accused were arrested while bringing it to Madikeri. Another accused was arrested in Bengaluru, and the main accused, Mehroof from Kerala, who tried to escape, was arrested at Kochi airport”, the SP further said.

He stated that the investigation has confirmed that the accused were bringing this narcotic substance from Bangkok via Bengaluru airport. Responding to a question, the SP said that they were not caught there due to some technical flaws at the airport.