International drug racket busted in Bengaluru, NCB seizes 50 kg of ketamine

In a major drug bust in Bengaluru by the Narcotics Control Bureau, more than 50 kg of ketamine, which is also used as a ‘date rape’ drug, was seized following the arrest of two men. 

The sleuths also discovered a clandestine lab with manufacturing facilities of the drug in the city. Based on further investigation, the NCB has also started probe of a similar underground facility in Hyderabad, run by the same group. 

The duo is part of a drug trafficking network based in Chennai linked to southeast Asian countries and Australia. They have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Investigators have also seized an oven box and one cash counting machine, among other things.

Sources said the total drug seized could be worth Rs 40 lakh. The drug bust involved a concerted effort for the last three days by the NCB team.

The first move was made on Tuesday evening at 8.30pm in Majestic when 26.75 kg of ketamine was seized near Movie Land Theatre from a 33-year-old Chennai man identified as J Kannan during handing over of the consignment. Meanwhile, the “supplier”, later identified as Shivraj Urs fled the scene on his sedan. 

J Kannan and Shivaraj Urs were arrested in connection with the drug racket

It was Shivaraj who ran his own lab on the ground floor and garage of his house in Kengeri. 

"The drug was kept in one poly gunny bag of rice and kept inside a trolley bag. Seeing the NCB team, both the receiver and the supplier of the drug tried to flee. The receiver who hails from Chennai was caught along with the drug, while the supplier of the drug fled in his Corolla Vehicle No. KA-03 MD 7250. When he was asked to stop his vehicle, he also tried to mow down the NCB officials,” a release by the NCB said on Thursday. 

Later, the officials traced and intercepted him in Yelahanka at 10am.

“Upon interrogation, it was revealed that he has one house at Kengeri and one at Vidyanagar, Bangalore. It was also revealed that he was manufacturing ketamine from his house at Kengeri. On the night of 30th April - 02nd May, his house located in Kengeri was searched in his presence. A clandestine lab with manufacturing facilities of the drug was found in the basement of his house.” the release added. 

Sources said the consignment was about to be transported to Malaysia, which is a major market.

A source said, “Urs did not have  any qualification, he had just learned to do it. He was working for a Chennai based group which was sending it all to Malaysia.”

The drug bust operation was carried out with the help of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).