The Chamarajpet police have arrested a drug peddler using app-based bike delivery services to distribute cocaine across Bengaluru in a major success in the city.
The accused was caught operating the illegal network just 100 metres from Chamarajpet police station, a huge success that is a testimony to the sophistication of the operation. Police seized 116.3 grams of cocaine valued at close to ₹50 lakh and seized a car that they said was used in the drug distribution racket.
The accused is Raju, a 30-year-old who is from Uttar Pradesh and who lives on Begur Main Road in Bengaluru. The arrest followed an investigation initiated by police after they caught suspicious activity in the vicinity of the apartment complex on Conservancy Road. Police said delivery bikes from logistics and courier companies were arriving at the apartment every 15 to 20 minutes during late nights and in the middle of the night, and were making officers feel suspicious about them, they said.
The unusual phenomenon of frequent deliveries led police to investigate. Officers noticed that instead of delivering parcels to the residents in the apartments, delivery personnel were allegedly taking small packets from an individual standing near a parked car. That’s very unusual, and police began to suspect illegal activity.
Based on the information gathered during surveillance, police stopped one of the delivery riders and questioned him about the package he had collected. During the investigation, officers discovered that the deliveries were booked by Raju. Further investigation revealed the accused was using bike-based courier services as a cover to distribute narcotics in different parts of Bengaluru.
As police said, while the standard delivery fee for such services is around ₹50, Raju was paying delivery riders as much as ₹300 in tips. The generous payments were made to ensure quick deliveries and to avoid delays or questions about the packages being transported, investigators say. The strategy was likely to avoid being noticed while using legitimate logistics services to transport illegal substances, investigators say.
When officers opened one of the parcels, they found cocaine hidden in small chocolate boxes. The sophisticated packaging method was supposedly meant to disguise the narcotics and avoid detection. Raju was arrested on the scene, and the network was investigated in a broader way.
The cocaine seized was 116.3 grams, which is estimated to have a market value of around ₹50 lakh, he said. The car that the accused used in the crime was also seized. The accused probably distributed cocaine to a wide range of customers, including students, IT professionals, and businesspeople in Bengaluru, police said.
Police have also identified another suspect, Akshith, who is linked to the racket. But he is at large and searches are going on to find him. Investigators are looking at call records, financial transactions, and digital communications to get an idea of the whole operation.
A case has been registered at Chamarajpet Police Station under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Raju has been brought before a court and remanded to judicial custody. Now, authorities are looking into the source of cocaine, the link to the supply chain, and how long the network has been operational.
Police are also looking into whether the case is linked to a larger interstate drug trafficking syndicate. The seized cocaine may have been imported from outside Karnataka and distributed through a well-organised network, officials said. The investigation will aim to locate all individuals and to dismantle any wider criminal operation that has been conducted by the accused.
The case once again underscores how drug traffickers are using modern delivery models to take advantage of the technology of the delivery system. Bengaluru Police have recommended that courier companies and delivery platforms be on their toes and report suspicious activities to law enforcement as the city faces a growing problem of narcotics trafficking.
