Karnataka ambulance driver linked to Rs 5 crore MDMA trafficking network

Police in Karnataka have identified an ambulance driver from Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada district, as a suspected member of an interstate MDMA trafficking ring. The driver, known as Jaleel (or Jalil) Baba, is alleged to have used his emergency vehicle to transport and distribute about 5 kg of MDMA valued at roughly Rs 5 crore. The investigation began after the Mangaluru City Crime Branch seized the drugs and arrested a suspect, Annappa Swamy alias Manu, on July 25. Subsequent raids in Bagalkote on July 15 led to the arrest of two locals, Mohammed Alfaz and Mohammed Mustafa, who reportedly told investigators that they had been supplying the narcotics to Jaleel Baba. The driver has been absconding for eight days, with his mobile phone switched off, prompting the formation of special teams to locate him. The case remains under investigation and no court verdict has been reached.