Bengaluru: NCB seizes 155.5 grams of cocaine; Nigerian arrested

On Wednesday, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru seized 155.5 grams of cocaine which was being transported from Mumbai to the city.

Bengaluru, July 26: On Wednesday, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru seized 155.5 grams of cocaine which was being transported from Mumbai to the city. The NCB sleuths arrested one Nigerian national in this regard. The accused is said to be around 30 years old.

He was apprehended by the NCB sleuths while he was travelling in a bus from Mumbai to Bengaluru. The accused had concealed the drugs inside his bag, stated a press release by the NCB, Bengaluru. The value of the contraband is said to be around Rs 93 lakh in the international market.

"Based on examination, he was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act," Sunil Kumar Sinha, zonal director, NCB, Bengaluru, told OneIndia.

According to the NCB officials, cocaine is a high-end drug and a stimulant which causes intense high that is immediately followed by intense depression and craving for more drugs.

The short-term effect of cocaine consumption causes anxiety, paranoia, contracted blood vessels and violent behaviour. The long-term effect includes permanent damage to heart, brain, liver, kidney, disorientation, psychosis and severe depression.

Under the law, drug trafficking is a punishable offence. A person dealing in drugs could be put behind the bars for up to 20 years and in certain cases he/she could invite death penalty too.

Over the years, Bengaluru has earned the dubious distinction of being the drug capital of south India. During the campaign for the Karnataka Assembly elections, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had blamed the then Congress government of turning the IT hub into the drug capital of the southern region.

"Failing to curb growing Drug Mafia in B'luru has been one of many failures of the Siddaramaiah govt. City is now infamously identified as drug capital of south India. Will Rahul at least address drug problem in Bengaluru? Or is it wrong of us to expect this from him?" the Karnataka BJP had tweeted in April.

Failing to curb growing Drug Mafia in B'luru has been one of many failures of the Siddaramaiah govt.

City is now infamously identified as drug capital of south India.

Will Rahul at least address drug problem in Bengaluru? Or is it wrong of us to expect this from him?

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 8, 2018