Mangaluru : Two drug peddlers, including a final-year medical female student, who were reportedly found in possession of ‘hydro weed ganja’ (marijuana), were arrested by City Crime Branch (CCB) police on Wednesday.

The drug peddlers were identified as Ajmal T Mangalpaady from Kasargod (24) and Minu Rashmi (27) from Kanyakumari, who is residing in Surathkal. The marijuana found in their possession weighed over 1.236 kgs and was worth between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore. A car and two mobile phones used in the operation were also seized by the police.

Ajmal was remanded to police custody while Minu Rashmi was remanded to judicial custody when the duo were produced before a city court on Wednesday.

The prime accused is Dr Nadir from Kasargod, a fugitive, who is residing in Dubai. Police sources said Minu Rashmi and Ajmal procured marijuana and sold it to customers in Konaje and Ullal in Dakshina Kannada district and Uppala in Kasaragod district through other drug peddlers. On Tuesday, Rashmi had arrived at Mangaluru from Kanhangad by a train.

Rashmi is acquainted with both Ajmal and Nadir, police sources said. On the directions of Dr Nadir, the accused were travelling in a car to Derlakatte in order to deliver the hydro weed to former’s friends.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police N Shashi Kumar said initial investigations revealed that the duo were targeting students from Kasaragod and Mangaluru to supply the hydro weed.

“In the past three months, we have been cracking drugs cases effectively. Once the college reopens, the movement of peddlers will intensify and our officers will work round-the-clock to crack NDPS cases,” he added.

The commissioner said many people from Kasaragod were involved in the peddling of drugs. Kumar also stressed that co-operation from public is very important.

Ganja cultivated in laboratory conditions is popularly known as hydro weed.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police N Shashi Kumar said, “Hydro weed ganja is cultivated using the hydroponic technique (without soil). We suspect that the hydro weed is procured from a European country. The seizure of 1.26 kg of hydro weed is a huge quantity.”