Drugs worth ₹1.58 crore seized in Mangaluru, 3 arrested

Zia Ul Haq was among three alleged drug peddlers arrested by Mangaluru police on October 8, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Althaf from Mangaluru was among three alleged drug peddlers arrested by Mangaluru police on October 8, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Mangaluru’s Central Crime Branch police has seized 1.79 kg of MDMA worth ₹1.58 crore and arrested three alleged drug peddlers. The narcotic drug was brought to Mangaluru by courier from Punjab hidden inside a water purifier.

The police gave names of the accused as Abdul Hafil, 25, of Mangalpady in Kasaragod district of Keralam; Zia Ul Haq, 30, of Kasaba Bengre in Mangaluru; and Althaf, 28, Faizal Nagar of Bajal in Mangaluru.

The Mangaluru police said the trio arrested by the CCB had procured the MDMA from Chandigarh. They kept the MDMA in the water storage container of a water purifier machine. They had planned to sell the MDMA to people in Mangaluru, and parts of Kerala.

The police stated that Abdul Hafil was booked earlier by Ullal police for alleged illegal consumption of narcotic drugs. Another accused, Zia Ul Haq, has returned to Mangaluru after ser6ving a three year sentence in a prison in Ras Al-Khaimah in UAE on being found found guilty of drug peddling. Accused Althaf was earlier booked by Mangaluru South police for drugs consumption.

The three accused were arrested from a place near D-Mart store at Kumpala at 10 p.m. of October 8. Apart from 1.79 kg of MDMA, the police seized three mobile phones, a water purifier, a car and, an autorickshaw from the three accused persons.

The police said they were alerted about the operation of the three accused by Kasaragod police following the arrest of Ahammad Rukshad (33) and Abdul Hameed (30), both hailing from Mangalpady village in Kasaragod district, at Nileshwar Railway station, on October 8. The police seized 697 grams of MDMA that the duo had brought from Punjab.