Express News Service
KASARAGOD: Singed by a police crackdown, the drug gangs of Uppala and Paivalike created terror in Manjeshwar, first, by opening fireplace within the air, after which by firing at law enforcement officials. Karnataka police subdued them at Vitla, and one other staff misplaced 140 kg of marijuana to the Kerala police.
“We put our lives at stake in the past 24 hours,” mentioned Kasaragod deputy superintendent of police P P Sadanandan, who led the operation in opposition to the drug gangs. “It is not over yet. We are still in pursuit of three gangsters led by Raheem of Miyapadav,” he mentioned.
It all began 5 days in the past when a particular police staff raided a home at Vorkady and arrested 5 suspected members of a drug gang and seized a pistol and a automotive in Paivalike, mentioned Sadanandan. The pistol was made in England.
The police have been stunned by the cocky response of the gangs to the raids. “They released a video on social media where they displayed five guns — four pistols and a rifle. It was as if to say, you have seized one pistol but we have more,” he mentioned.
In one video, an individual sitting within the driver’s seat of a parked automotive pulls out a pistol from the cellular storage, cocks it, and faucets the gun on the stereo which is enjoying hip-hop music. The digicam pans out from the pistol and focuses on the street signage which says Morthana, straight, Manjeshwar and Uppala, left.
In one other clip, two individuals have been firing two pistols. It was posted as a ‘story’ on Instagram on March 23 by one Ashkar, who recognized himself as a blogger.
It was as if the gangs have been difficult the police, mentioned the DySP. The police replied in sort. The subsequent day, round 5 am on March 24, the DySP fashioned 14 groups headed by 14 officers from the Kasaragod division and concurrently searched 60 homes in Manjeshwar, Kumbla, and Kasaragod police limits.
The homes belonged to history-sheeters who had long-pending warrants in opposition to them, he mentioned. “We did not get any big gangsters but managed to arrest five persons linked to these gangs. Now, we had 10 persons in custody,” he mentioned.
The arrested individuals have been recognized as Ashkar of Morthana, who uploaded the video, ‘Tyre’ Faisal of Seethamgoli, Badaruddeen of Bela, Aboobacker of Arikkady, and Shihab.
On March 25, Thursday, round 2 pm, two hatchbacks with three individuals every drove into Uppala city. One individual opened fireplace into the air and the 2 automobiles zipped off, mentioned police.
Officers believed the open firing was in response to the raid and arrest the day past. Manjeshwar police led by the inspector and sub-inspector reached the spot and ordered the closure of all escape routes. More police groups have been referred to as in and a combing operation was launched for the suspected gangsters.
Around 3 pm, Kasaragod police noticed one of many automobiles at Miyapadav. But on seeing the police, the automotive sped away. “We chased it for half an hour but could not catch it. They were driving at 120 to 130 km per hour as if they were on drugs,” mentioned the DySP.
The police arrange bandobasts at necessary junctions to stop their escape. “Around 4.30 pm, we noticed the automotive deserted at Koolavayal close to Miyapadav.
The police discovered an empty case of a spherical. “We suspect case belonged to the round fired at Uppala,” mentioned the DySP.
As the automotive was locked, the police organized a automobile to tow it to Manjeshwar police. Around 8.30 pm, when the police started towing the automotive, the gangsters appeared once more in two automobiles and opened fireplace on the police, mentioned the officer. “One round hit a police jeep,” he mentioned.
When the police returned fireplace, they fled from the scene.
This pressured the police to dam all roads. “We used Google Maps to find all exit routes and blocked them,” he mentioned.
Kerala police additionally alerted the police in Puttur, Sulliya, and Vitla in Karnataka.
Around 4 am, one of many automobiles approached the barricade arrange at Kodange on the Kerala-Karnataka border by Vittal police.
Dakshina Kannada police mentioned these contained in the automotive opened fireplace on the officers manning the submit. The automotive got here to a cease when it rammed into the barricade, it mentioned.
Vittal police arrested the three individuals contained in the automotive. They recognized the individuals as Mohammed Wakeer, Abdul Latheef, and Ashfaq. They additionally recovered one pistol, 13 reside rounds, one dagger. They additionally impounded the automotive.
The Dakshina Kannada police mentioned the three individuals recognized themselves as members of a gang working in Paivalike, Miyapadav, and Kasaragod.
Meanwhile, Kasaragod police saved combing the world and round 2.30 pm discovered a automotive deserted on the fringes of a forest at Kundadka in Meenja panchayat.
The Kasaragod DySP mentioned they discovered 140kg of marijuana and 55g of MDMA, a psychoactive drug.
He mentioned they have been looking out for the three individuals within the automotive. The police mentioned they have been going forward with the operation to determine and nab the leaders of the gangs.
