Bengaluru city police have busted what is being called the largest drug racket in Karnataka, just ahead of New Year's Eve. Acting on a specific tip-off, the anti-narcotics squad raided a small food shop in the TC Palya area of the city and seized a massive stock of prohibited drugs valued at Rs 24 crore.

The operation, carried out on December 13 under the KR Puram police station limits, uncovered 12 kg of yellow and white MDMA crystals hidden and concealed in soap packets, rice covers, and dry fish tin boxes, said City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda.  

The establishment, which appeared to sell grocery items primarily for foreign nationals, was run by Roselime Oluchi Ikeoha, a 40-year-old Nigerian national. She ran the grocery shop in T.C. Palya for five years.

According to Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand, it is the biggest recovery Karnataka has seen till date. “This is an excellent operation. This is the highest recovery in the state so far. The operation was carried out on December 13 in KR Puram Police station limits. During the interrogation, the accused confessed that she was selling these drugs to foreign nationals, IT and corporate employees, and college students. The crystals have come from Mumbai,” he stated.

In the interrogation, Roselime admitted that the African-origin woman had brought MDMA crystals to Bengaluru from Mumbai. The accused revealed that they sold the illicit drugs to various customers like foreign nationals, college students, and IT and corporate sector employees for "living a fun life" while earning money fast.

Further, the police recovered 70 Airtel SIM cards from the accused, showing interlocking communications in this network.

The accused had come to the city on a business visa and overstayed, the police added.

Policemen arranging seized sacks of narcotics before a press conference in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

[Source- The Hindu]

Although the raid had succeeded in nabbing Roselime, the African-origin woman accused of bringing into the country the banned MDMA crystals had evaded capture. Police launched a large-scale search for her and were engaged in unscrambling the entire network involved in this illicit business.

Further investigations into the case are ongoing, and authorities are determined to find and arrest others involved in this racket.