Kerala Man Caught Smuggling ₹73 Lakh Worth Hydro Weed

Mangaluru: In a major drug bust, the Mangaluru City Crime Branch (CCB) police have arrested a 42-year-old man from Kerala for allegedly smuggling hydro weed (a high-potency variant of marijuana) from Goa to Karnataka and Kerala. The police seized 738 grams of the contraband, valued at ₹73 lakh, along with a vehicle and other assets.

Based on specific intelligence, a CCB team intercepted a red Hyundai car (KL-76-B-2296) near Bappanadu on the national highway. The accused, Shameer P.K. (42), a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala, was taken into custody. Along with the drugs, the police confiscated his mobile phone and the vehicle, bringing the total seized assets to ₹80.10 lakh.

Initial investigations suggest that the hydro weed was sourced from international suppliers. A case has been registered at the Mulki Police Station under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The operation was carried out under the leadership of Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal (IPS), with DCPs Siddharth Goyal and K. Ravishankar overseeing the probe. The CCB team, led by ACP Manoj Kumar Naik, included Inspector Shyam Sundar H.M. and PSI Sharanappa Bhandari. Investigations are ongoing to identify others involved in the drug trade. (eom)