The Bengaluru Police have busted an international drug trafficking ring allegedly operating from Canada via the dark web and arrested two peddlers on Friday. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said that the drugs were being shipped using Amazon’s packaging cover. The Central Crime Branch, which busted the racket has recovered 2.75 kg of marijuana, 100 e-cigarettes, hash oil, chocolates and jelly laced with ganja worth over Rs 1 crore.
The CCB sleuths arrested a graduate in computer application – Atif Salim (25), who allegedly began the drug trafficking operation seven months ago, along with his associate Rohith Das (26). Both are natives of Kolkata and had been living in the city for a few years. The arrest was made on Thursday after which details of the shipment were obtained by the police
The CCB sleuths had received a tip a few months ago that shipments of drugs worth lakhs were coming in to Bengaluru through the Kempegowda International Airport. According to the police, Atif Salim had contacted a drug peddler on the dark web through a messaging app Wickr Me. The drug peddler, police say, is from Canada and the information was obtained after the police questioned Atif.
“The drugs were packaged in milk powder cans and shipped. They were put inside a bag that conceals the items inside and the scanners pick up only the shape of the bag, which would look like folded clothes or some such thing. The police have recovered 14 milk powder cans from the which had the marijuana concealed in them,” Bhaskar Rao said.
Three packets of ganja-laced chocolate and jelly have been recovered along with hashish oil canisters that were to be used in 100 e-cigarettes. 900 ml of hashish oil was seized.
How the accused used Amazon for shipping drugs
Atif used to deliver drugs to peddlers and clients in Mumbai and Delhi through courier that used packaging material that looked like it was from e-commerce site Amazon. “We are trying to find out how he got access to Amazon’s packaging material. He would use this packaging and this would not raise suspicion. The shipment that came in with Amazon packaging as well. The product they were selling is called hydro and each gram of it would sell for Rs 4,000,” CCB Chief Sandeep Patil said.
How he bought drugs from Canadian supplier
Atif allegedly did not know the identity of the supplier and paid for the shipment through bitcoin. The CCB sleuths are now combing through Atif’s chats on Wickr Me and are trying to identify the supplier. “We will seek the help of Interpol after we figure out who the supplier is,” CCB Chief Patil said.
Police say that Atif was the primary distributor of ganja in the country. Once the supplier sent the shipment from Canada, Atif allegedly supplied it to other peddlers in the city. The police have passed on the information of the peddlers to Delhi and Mumbai police, who are currently tracking them down. He would get a 25% cut of the money made from selling the drugs in the total consignment.
Sandeep Patil said that the parents of a youth in Bengaluru, who had procured ganja from Atif allegedly informed the police.