Udupi, August 18, 2025 – In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, Manipal police arrested three individuals involved in the sale of ganja and LSD, targeting students and workers in private industries in Manipal, Udupi district. The accused, identified as Afshin from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Shivanidhi Acharya from Shivalli, Udupi, and Manish from Kasaragod, Kerala, were apprehended following a police operation led by Inspector Mahesh Prasad.

The operation began after four workers from Kerala—Ajeesh (28), Vipin (32), Bipin (24), and Akhil (26)—tested positive for ganja consumption. Their samples, sent for laboratory analysis, confirmed the use, leading to cases being filed against them. Further investigation revealed that the ganja was supplied by Mithun, who sourced the drugs, including LSD, from Bengaluru for sale in Manipal.

On Saturday night, police raided Room No. 03 on the first floor of Manipal Auto Bar near Narasinghe Devasthana Road in Herga village, seizing 1.237 kg of ganja, 0.038 grams of LSD strips, plastic covers, a digital scale, ₹2,000 in cash, and two mobile phones from Afshin and Shivanidhi. A subsequent raid on Manish’s residence at Flat No. 004, Mandavi Sapphire Apartment in Vidyaratna Nagar, Manipal, led to the recovery of 653 grams of ganja, two digital scales, a ganja crusher, ₹3,000 in cash, and one mobile phone. The accused were presented before the court, which remanded them to judicial custody.

Afshin, a former student of a private Ayurvedic college, targeted engineering students and workers, while Shivanidhi, an engineering student from Mangaluru, sold drugs to students and locals. Manish, a welder, supplied ganja to workers from Kerala and other states in Manipal. Notably, Afshin has a prior MDMA trafficking case from 2023 in Manipal, and Manish was involved in a ganja consumption case in Bekal, Kerala.

Acting on instructions from Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar IPS, the Manipal police recently conducted drug tests on out-of-state students and industrial workers, uncovering the trafficking network. The operation, led by PSI Akshay Kumari, highlights ongoing efforts to curb drug-related activities in the region, particularly targeting vulnerable groups like students and laborers.