Vigilant pump attendant helps bust interstate drug racket

City police arrested one member of the Rajasthan-based gang and seized opium worth Rs 20 lakh and confiscated 20 fake Rs 500 denomination notes

A fake currency and drug racket was busted yesterday, courtesy a vigilant petrol pump attendant who informed the cops about the suspicious behaviour of a customer.
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The suspect was arrested by the cops and opium worth Rs 20 lakh and 20 fake notes of Rs 500 denomination were seized from him.



According to the Cottonpet police, accused Mohanlal appeared to be edgy when he stopped by at Uday petrol pump. He flashed a Rs 500 note and asked the attendant to fill the tank of his bike.
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Finding his behaviour suspicious the attendant went inside and checked the note only to discover it was fake.

He immediately informed the police and helped to bust the Rajasthan-based gang, which has been active in
drug smuggling and fake currency racket.

Inspector Noorulla Shariff said that the accused had confessed to be a part of the fake currency racket.

During interrogation Mohanlal, who runs a hardware store in Chickpet, told the police that he got the fake notes from his contact identified as Balwant Singh, who runs a chemical shop in the same area.

"We have detained Balwant Singh to track the fake currency racket, which is suspected to be active across the country," he added.



Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ismail Sharieff said, "Our men then took Mohanlal to his house in Vijayanagar and seized the consignment of opium and fake notes."

"The accused said that he got his supply of Opium from Jodhpur and that his associate Surjaram used to ferry drugs from Rajasthan to Bangalore," Sharieff added.

Once the consignment reached the city, the opium in an oil-form would then be converted it into a solid form and sold to buyers, including businessmen, college students and hoteliers in the city.

"Mohanlal used to run a hardware store in Chickpet, but his main business was fake currency circulation and selling of contraban and drugs," Noorulla Shariff said.

Corrigendum
w In the article headlined 'Nagaraj had sought security cover before murder' dated October 3, the name of slain BBMP corporator Nataraj was erroneously mentioned as Nagaraj. The error is highly regretted.