On March 12 and 13, the Crime Control Branch (CCB) of Mangaluru police arrested five men from Kerala in three separate operations involving firearms and drug seizures, Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal informed reporters on Thursday.
Acting on specific information, CCB intercepted a sports utility vehicle with Kerala registration near Natekal and arrested Noufal (38) from Beemanadi village and Manoor (36) from Paivalike village, both in Kasargod district. Police recovered two pistols, four live bullets, two mobile phones, and the SUV. A case has been registered with Konaje police. Noufal and Manoor face six and four criminal cases respectively in Kerala related to drug trafficking and criminal intimidation.
In another operation, police tracked Abdul Latheef alias Thoku Latheef near Arkula on NH 75 and seized 12.895 kg of cannabis from him. Latheef, a resident of Kasargod and currently near Kozhikode Airport, was involved in a recent Mangaluru Rural Police shoot-out and illegal firearms cases. He faces 13 cases including offenses under the Arms Act, assault, robbery, attempted murder, and homicide.
On March 12, CCB arrested Mohammad Asgar (27) and Mohammad Sali (31), both from Mortana, Kasargod district, near Deivpura, Talapady. Police seized a pistol, two live bullets, two mobile phones, and a car. Asgar faces 17 cases in Karnataka and Kerala including assault, robbery, attempted murder, and drug distribution. Sali has 10 cases including drug trafficking, assault, attempted murder, and illegal sand transportation.
All five accused are wanted persons with criminal cases pending in Kerala and Karnataka. Latheef and Asgar are suspected to have links with the Popular Front of India (PFI), according to Commissioner Agrawal. Further details are expected after police custody interrogation.
