Bengaluru scientist, Air Force officer arrested; drugs worth Rs 230-cr seized

October 5, 2016

Bengaluru, Oct 5: An Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and a Bengaluru-based scientist have been arrested after multi-state raids that have exposed an international ring dealing in drugs like Ecstasy. Around 220 kg of ready-to-use amphetamine worth Rs. 230 crore have been seized.

drugdealers

The Air Force Wing Commander was caught in Nanded in Maharashtra yesterday, apparently on his way to Goa from Hyderabad. Over Rs. 7 lakh cash, five mobile phones and allegedly incriminating documents were found on him. He is believed to be one of the main suppliers in the network to make and deliver amphetamines, which are potent nervous system stimulants.

Posted in the Directorate of Information Technology in Delhi, the officer had reportedly been tracked for weeks both by the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Air Force intelligence wing. More officers are under surveillance, say sources.

Hyderabad, say officials, was the base where amphetamines - used in several party drugs - were manufactured at a leased factory. The drugs were allegedly trafficked mainly to countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Sources say Venkat Rama Rao, a research scientist, and his wife were key members of the syndicate. Mr Rao and the Air Force Wing Commander had been classmates and allegedly resumed contact when the officer was posted in Bengaluru.

The raids were carried out on Friday.

Comments

Ahmed USA
 - 
Wednesday, 5 Oct 2016

Very bad .this is isolated incident .I see many Muslims making silly comments and linking armed forces .one person by name suresh.speaks and questions the Integrity of our armed forces. If you get infected with virus ,do you kill yourself ? No right .you will take anti biotics so that infection is addressed .vande mataram...inshallah our Indian armed forces emerge victorious against evil designs of pak .love you Indian army

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Wednesday, 5 Oct 2016

This is how terrorists enter our teritorry

ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 5 Oct 2016

inidan miltary force supplying drugs to pakistan

Rikaz
 - 
Wednesday, 5 Oct 2016

They used air force property to do their illegal business....they should be punished very harshly....if it was not caught they would have killed a lot of innocent people....

Sadi
 - 
Wednesday, 5 Oct 2016

Guess, Col Purohit was able to bring RDX from Army for Malegao & Samjotha express blast, obviously Air Force officer able to airlift any drugs to our country. Bhakts are quiet after reading the name.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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