Police arrest five persons in three cases, recover three pistols, 12.8 kg cannabis

Mangaluru Police arrest five criminals linked to PFI, seize firearms, drugs, cars worth ₹40 lakh in three separate cases.

The Central Crime Branch personnel of Mangaluru City Police have arrested five alleged inter-State notorious criminals, including two suspected to be having links with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), and recovered three pistols, six live bullets, 12.895kg of cannabis, three cars and other valuables together worth around ₹40 lakh.

Arrests and seizures were made on Wednesday, March 12 and Thursday, March 13, in three separate cases, Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal told reporters here on Thursday. All the five appear to be part of the same network and investigation would reveal the reasons for possessing the firearms, he said. The accused, natives of Kerala, face several criminal cases in Kerala as well as Karnataka, the Commissioner said.

The CCB personnel intercepted a sports utility vehicle bearing Kerala license plate at Natekal acting on specific information and arrested Noufal, 38, resident of Beemanadi village and Manoor, 36, resident of Paivalike village, both in Kasargod district. Police recovered two pistols four live bullets, two mobile phones and the SUV. A case was registered with the Konaje police in this regard.

Mr. Agrawal said Noufal and Mansoor face six and four criminal cases of drug trafficking, criminal intimidation etc., registered in Kerala.

The same day, CCB personnel received information about a person attempting to smuggle cannabis from Kerala to Mangaluru and tracked his car near Arkula on Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75. Police recovered 12.895 cannabis from accused Abdul Latheef alias Thoku Latheef, resident of Mangalpady, Kasargod, presently resident near Kozhikode Airport, Mr. Agrawal said. CCB personnel registered a case with the Mangaluru Rural Police.

The Commissioner said Latheef was involved in the recent Mangaluru Rural Police shoot-out case and was responsible for supplying a pistol to the accused in that case. He was also involved in a 2024 illegal firearm case in Ullal where he supplied a pistol to another accused, Asgar. He faces 13 cases in Kerala and Karnataka, including offences under the Arms Act, assault, robbery, attempted murder and homicide.

On Wednesday, CCB police arrested Mohammad Asgar, 27 and Mohammad Sali, 31, both residents of Mortana in Kasargod district and seized one pistol, two live bullets, two mobile phones and a car near Deivpura, Talapady.