In a startling revelation, a city police constable has been arrested for his alleged involvement with methamphetamine peddlers, marking the second such incident in just 10 days.
Constable James (37), attached to the Ashok Nagar police station, was taken into custody by a special police team on Friday. His arrest followed the detainment of his associate, Surendar (36), who was found in possession of 10 grams of methamphetamine. Investigations revealed that James had paid Surendar to procure the drug from Bengaluru, which Surendar later distributed through clients he connected with on a dating app.
James, a member of a special team within the Ashok Nagar police, is now under scrutiny for his alleged role in aiding drug peddlers. The Vadapalani police have taken over the investigation to determine the extent of his involvement.
Adding to the complexity of the case, another policeman currently serving with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has come under the scanner. Sources revealed that James and this officer had previously worked together in the T Nagar police district and were in regular contact, involving frequent conversations and financial transactions.
Just 10 days ago, R Bharani (32), a 2016-batch constable attached to the Law and Order wing of the Aynavaram police station, was arrested for his alleged connections with a methamphetamine racket. Bharani was implicated after a special team from the Neelankarai police busted the racket, arresting three individuals, including a Cameroon national, and seizing 51 grams of methamphetamine.
The arrested individuals included Raghu, a cook, Kannan, a weaver from Arani near Tiruvannamalai, and Jonathan, the Cameroon national. Investigations revealed that Bharani had received regular payments from the gang and failed to report their criminal activities despite being aware of them.
These incidents have raised concerns about the involvement of law enforcement personnel in drug-related crimes. The arrests underline the need for stricter vigilance within police ranks to curb such activities.
The ongoing investigations are expected to unearth further details about the operations and involvement of officials in these illegal activities.