Bengaluru drug addicts going high on cocaine

Bengaluru: Cocaine, one of the most dangerous and expensive contraband narcotic drugs is seemingly in demand in the city’s underbelly.

On a tip off the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru zonal unit last month arrested three Nigerians and seized over 122 gm of cocaine from them in the city. Sunil Sinha, zonal director, NCB, Bengaluru confirmed the seizure of the contraband drug and the arrests.

On December 5 the NCB arrested two Nigerians, who are living in the city on student visa and seized 112 gm of cocaine from their residence in Kamanahalli and K.R. Puram.

On December 31 they arrested a Ghanian national from T.C. Palya in K.R. Puram and seized 10 gm of cocaine from him. “The Ghanian has been living in the city under fake documents.

He came to India on medical visa and after arriving here he changed his name and nationality under fake documents. He is a drug peddler.

These peddlers contact their clients through social media networks. The client list includes college students and professionals from entertainment and IT industry,” said another officer.

“Cocaine, which is also known as ‘coke,’ ‘crack,’ ‘fix’ ‘C’ and ‘blow’ in the addicts’ parlance, is a highly addictive narcotic drug and affects the central nervous system of the user leading to mood changes after initial euphoria and serious mental illness like schizophrenia.

Regular abuse of the drug can lead to cardiac arrest and death. It is sold anywhere between Rs 5,000 and 7,000 or even more per gram depending upon the demand and supply in the grey market.

These peddlers contact their clients through social media networks. They include college students and professionals from entertainment and IT industry as well,” said an official source.

The three accused have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The Ghanian has also been booked under the Passport Act. They were produced in special NDPS court and remanded in judicial custody.