Early Saturday morning, the Bengaluru City Police, including the Central Crime Branch (CCB) conducted simultaneous raids and search operations in various parts of the city including at Central Jail, Parappana Agrahara.
Around 5 am, CCB teams raided the prison and recovered weapons such as knives and daggers, marijuana and mobile phones and SIM cards from inmates. “The raids were carried out after we received credible information that several gangsters and rowdies were carrying out activities from inside the prison,” said a source. Several teams along with doq squads carried out the search and made the seizures.
The police were also probing the possible involvement of prison officials who failed to check the narcotics. Another cause for concern is the number of mobile phones seized dispute jammers in place. “We are analysing the mobile phones and SIM cards to ascertain illegal activities,” said Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime).
At the same time, the city police also carried out massive search operations and raided residences of rowdies and habitual offenders. “We have recovered a huge number of lethal weapons and rounded up several habitual offenders. Enquiries are being conducted,” said a senior police officer.
Residences of 116 rowdies searched in Whitefield
In Whitefield, the police conducted operations on the residences of 116 rowdies in their jurisdiction and recovered 2.5 kgs of marijuana and lethal weapons such as knives, daggers and machetes from them.
Three rowdies have been booked under NDPS Act while 15 have been booked under Section 110 ( security for good behaviour from habitual offenders) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC),” D. Devraj, DCP, Whitefield said.
These raids were conducted in the backdrop of two brazen murders that were conducted in broad daylight at public places in the last two weeks — financier Madan and former civic councillor Rekha Kadiresh.
The police have also been cracking down on the sale of drugs in the city, increasing border checks and inspecting premises of private courier firms that are often used to ship consignments of narcotics.
