Five drug peddlers were arrested by Coimbatore police on Thursday in connection with the illegal distribution of drugs, including magic mushrooms, OG Kush, ganja, and tobacco products. The arrests were made in Thondamuthur, a suburb of Coimbatore city.
The arrested individuals were identified as M Amaran (30) from PN Pudur, P Jonathan Sathish (31) from Karnataka, H Nishanth (23) from Saibaba Colony, C Prasanth (30), and K Saravanakumar (26), both from Alandurai.
According to the police, a significant haul was made during the operation, which included 589 grams of magic mushrooms containing the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin, valued at Rs 12.9 lakh. In addition, 100 grams of OG Kush, a potent strain of cannabis, was seized, alongside 1 kg of ganja worth Rs 40,000 and 13 kg of gutkha.
The peddlers were reportedly sourcing the magic mushrooms and OG Kush through the darknet. Dr. K Karthikeyan, Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore, mentioned that the mushrooms were likely imported, as they did not resemble the variety grown in Kodaikanal, and that the OG Kush contained a higher concentration of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
The peddlers had been selling these substances at inflated prices, with 1 gram of OG Kush going for Rs 5,000 and 1 gram of magic mushrooms priced at Rs 2,500.
In addition to the drugs, the police also confiscated four motorcycles, six mobile phones, two laptops, and a currency-counting machine from the arrested individuals. All five were remanded to judicial custody as the investigation continues.
