Drug Racket Busted in Mangaluru, Three Held with MDMA

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Crime Branch (CCB) on Wednesday apprehended three individuals who were allegedly selling the banned party drug MDMA in the Surathkal region. The accused were operating out of a Toyota Innova and had sourced the contraband from Bengaluru.

According to police sources, the trio had been using parcel services on private buses to bring the drugs into the city, targeting public hangouts and students near the Mukka-Malemar beach stretch.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammed Asif (24) of Deralakatte, Asgar Ali (31) of Mukka, and Mohammed Rasheem (24) of Surathkal. During the operation, police recovered 10 grams of MDMA worth ₹1 lakh, ₹4,000 in cash, four mobile phones, and the vehicle used in the crime, bringing the total seizure to an estimated ₹9.24 lakh.

Preliminary investigations suggest the group was part of a larger network involved in drug trafficking across coastal Karnataka. One of the accused, Mohammed Asif, already faces two cases—including one for drug peddling—registered at the Surathkal police station.

CCB officers conducted the raid under the supervision of ACP Manoj Kumar Naik, with Inspector Rafeeq K.M., PSI Sharanappa Bhandari, and other CCB personnel forming the core investigation team. Police said more arrests are likely as the investigation unfolds.