Woman accused of sneaking drugs into Mangaluru prison
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Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Heroin haul up, stokes HIV outbreak fear
Kochi: After MDMA, heroin smuggling is rapidly increasing, with nearly Rs 1 crore worth of the drug being seized last week in Ernakulam. With the possibility of many heroin users sharing syringes, the threat of a full-blown HIV outbreak looms large. Mubarak Hussain, 25, a native of Nagaon in Assam, was arrested with 45 grams of heroin worth Rs 14.2 lakh from Perumbavoor on Tuesday. Excise sleuths in Aluva seized 158 grams of heroin worth Rs 50 lakh from Assam-native Hussain Sahirul Islam on Monday. On August 10, two Assam natives were arrested with Rs 30 lakh worth of heroin in Perumbavoor. Since the drug can be easily concealed, most accused smuggle it by train from Assam, hiding it in plastic soap boxes. They can procure a single box from there for nearly Rs 80,000, repack into tiny bottles and sell them for Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 each. Police sources said the accused likely made multiple successful smuggling bids before being caught. M F Suresh, assistant excise commissioner, Ernakulam, said although many peddlers have become extra cautious, anticipating intensified checks ahead of Onam season, enforcement sleuths have been able to foil drug smuggling bids. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Readers says this maybe the best Cable TV Communications Search Now "Both excise and police will increase the raids and inspections ahead of Onam season. These peddlers are smart and they are being more careful. We are putting in much greater effort and so are yielding results. Surveillance is very active during Onam season," said Suresh. A police officer said heroin was mostly used among migrant labourers as it was popular in their home states too. However, there are instances of Keralites also purchasing it from them. Group use of injectable drugs is a powder keg for a larger crisis as it can trigger HIV outbreaks, say experts. Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) joint director Reshmi Madhavan said while drug abusers can contract HIV by sharing needles, another possibility is drug-addled sex, which is highly likely to be unprotected. "Sharing needles carries a grave risk, as one infected user can put an entire group in danger. But the threat is not limited to injections —drug abusers are also vulnerable to HIV through unprotected sex, often without being aware of it. In many cases, infection occurs through unprotected sexual activity, including homosexual encounters, under the influence of drugs," said Madhavan. KSACS is actively engaged in campaigns and screening migrant workers, she said. Dedicated Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) centres are active to gradually turn the users away from injectable drugs and then to deaddiction and rehabilitation, she added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Congolese man, who acted in Kannada film as peddler, arrested with drugs in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: In a case of reality emulating reel life, a Congolese man who played a drug peddler in a Kannada film was caught with 180 grams of MDMA by a special team of Electronics City police. His associate, a Congolese woman, was also arrested after police seized around 1.8kg of MDMA from her residence. In all, cops seized 2kg of MDMA worth over Rs 5 crore from them. The accused — Joel Kabong, 28, from Hulimavu, and Joy Sunday, 23, of Vidyaranyapura — were selling MDMA in and around Electronics City to students and professionals. Police found photographs in Kabong's mobile clicked during the shooting of Kannada film Bheema, with lead actor Duniya Vijay waging war against the drug mafia. Kabong told police he had been roped in to act in the movie as a peddler. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru "We were surprised to see Kabong carrying out drug trade in real life too," said an investigating officer, adding that they are looking for a suspect from Delhi who supplied MDMA to Sunday. Interestingly, it was the newly introduced concept of Mane Mane Ge Police, where police personnel knock on the doors of houses in their jurisdiction and interact with residents, that helped in tracing Kabong. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo According to police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, residents of Electronics City tipped off the cops about a foreign national visiting Neeladri Road and behaving suspiciously. "He comes most evenings, particularly during weekends. With a backpack, he loiters on Neeladri Road. Sometimes, he places a packet on a spot, clicks its picture, and stands a little away. In a few minutes, a different person picks up the packet and vanishes," said Singh, sharing the inputs police received from residents. The special team, led by deputy commissioner of police M Narayana, started watching Kabong and caught him on the night of Aug 15. "He took us to Joy's Vidyaranyapura house. There, we recovered the remaining MDMA, packed and sealed inside packets of instant fortified milk cereal for babies," the investigating officer said. "The buyers would make online payments to Joy, and she would communicate the same to Kabong. Then, Kabong would place the MDMA-filled packet at some place, click a picture of it, and send it back to Joy, mentioning the location with latitude and longitude. Again, Joy would forward the same to customers, who, following the location, would come and take the packet," another police officer explained. In the past fortnight, city police, as part of a special drive against drugs, arrested four other accused and seized drugs worth over Rs 70 lakh, including 400 grams of MDMA and 22kg of ganja. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Indian Express
17 hours ago
- Indian Express
Punjabi-origin woman behind Friends star Matthew Perry overdose death
A Punjabi-origin woman accused of supplying the drugs that led to the death of Friends star Matthew Perry has agreed to plead guilty to multiple federal charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced Monday. Jasveen Sangha, 42, who holds dual citizenship of the United States and the United Kingdom, has been described by prosecutors as a prolific Los Angeles drug dealer known in her circles as the 'Ketamine Queen.' Sangha, who lived in North Hollywood, built her trade around selling ketamine and other narcotics, often boasting of her reputation among buyers. She admitted to providing the ketamine that caused Perry's fatal overdose in October 2023 and will formally enter her plea in the coming weeks. With her agreement, Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant in the case to strike a deal with federal prosecutors, avoiding a trial that had been scheduled for September. According to the Justice Department, Sangha has agreed to plead guilty to five counts—maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The charges carry a statutory maximum sentence of up to 45 years in federal prison. 'A San Fernando Valley woman has agreed to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including that she provided the ketamine that ultimately resulted in the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023,' the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. Prosecutors said Sangha worked with co-defendant Erik Fleming, 55, of Hawthorne, to supply Perry with large quantities of ketamine. In October 2023, Sangha and Fleming sold 51 vials of the drug to Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 60, of Toluca Lake. On October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three doses of Sangha's ketamine, leading to the actor's death. After news of the death broke, Sangha allegedly used encrypted apps to discuss covering her tracks, instructing Fleming to 'Delete all our messages.' Court filings also revealed that Sangha admitted to a prior case involving another victim, Cody McLaury, who died in August 2019 after purchasing ketamine from her. In March 2023, law enforcement searched Sangha's North Hollywood residence and seized 1.7 kilograms of pressed methamphetamine pills, 79 vials of liquid ketamine, counterfeit Xanax, MDMA tablets, powdered cocaine and ketamine, as well as cash and drug-trafficking equipment. Sangha admitted to using the residence as a base for distributing narcotics since at least 2019. Sangha has been in federal custody since August 2024. At sentencing, she faces a statutory maximum of 20 years for the drug-premises charge, up to 10 years for each ketamine distribution count, and up to 15 years for the distribution resulting in death or serious bodily injury—totalling 45 years. The case has been investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Perry, who rose to global fame playing Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom Friends, was 54 when he died. His struggles with addiction were widely documented in his memoir and interviews, lending his death a tragic resonance for millions of fans worldwide.
