In a significant drug bust nearly three weeks ago in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu police have uncovered a widespread drug network allegedly operated over the phone by Aivan Gabonge, a Ugandan currently incarcerated in a Bengaluru jail. The operation came to light after police seized 102 grams of methamphetamine and 1.2 kilograms of ganja on May 17, leading to the arrest of six youths.
The investigation gained momentum when the arrested individuals revealed connections to a man named Vinoth and lawyer Hariharasudhan. Following this lead, police apprehended Vinoth, who disclosed that he sourced drugs from an engineer named Praveen Kumar. Praveen, a call taxi driver in Bengaluru, admitted to obtaining drugs through WhatsApp contacts, where he was instructed to make UPI transactions for payment.
Acting as a decoy, Praveen facilitated a controlled buy of methamphetamine, which led investigators to Ivy Bonuke, a 26-year-old Kenyan law student in Dharwad. Ivy was found to be managing the bank account of Gabonge, which had seen transactions amounting to Rs45 lakh between December 2023 and May 2024, likely linked to drug sales.
Ivy, who is Gabonge’s girlfriend, frequently visited him in prison and played a crucial role in managing cash transactions for the drug ring. Authorities are in the process of securing mobile phones from Gabonge in jail to further unravel the national-level drug operation.
Vinoth, Praveen, and Ivy have been remanded to judicial custody, while police aim to arrest Gabonge and dismantle the extensive drug network.
