In a coordinated anti-narcotics crackdown, Manipal police arrested seven individuals—three for drug peddling and four for drug consumption, unveiling a narcotics network targeting students, industrial workers, and migrants in the Udupi–Manipal region.
The operation began on August 16, when Inspector Mahesh Prasad led a raid on a flat in Manipal Auto Bar building, near Ishwaranagar Narasinghe Temple Road, Herga village. Two accused were arrested:
Afshin (26), from Varkala, Kerala — a former Ayurveda student previously booked in 2023 for MDMA peddling
Shivanidhi Acharya (20), an engineering student from Indrali, Udupi
Police recovered:
1.237 kg of ganja
0.038 grams of LSD strips
Cash, mobile phones, weighing scale, and packaging material
Migrant Workers Caught for Drug Use
In a previous phase of the operation, six migrant workers were subjected to drug tests. Four tested positive for ganja:
Ajees (28) – Palakkad
Vipin (32) – Kollam
Bipin (24) – Thrissur
Akhil (26) – Pathanamthitta
All were taken into custody, and drug consumption cases were filed.
Second Peddler Caught in Vidyarathna Nagar
On August 17, PSI Akshaya Kumari led another raid in Vidyarathna Nagar, targeting a flat belonging to:
Manish (34), a welder from Kasargod with a prior drug case in Bekal, Kerala
Police seized:
653 grams of ganja
A crusher, weighing scales
Rs 3,000 and a mobile phone
Judicial Custody and Ongoing Crackdown
All three peddlers — Afshin, Shivanidhi, and Manish — have been remanded to judicial custody. The operation is part of a widening anti-drug campaign initiated by SP Hariram Shankar, IPS, who has focused on student testing, laborer screening, and cross-border peddler tracing.
