Bengaluru: A young delivery executive didn’t think much beyond earning a few hundreds of rupees for carrying a parcel from Begur on the outskirts to CV Raman Nagar in east Bengaluru — a task so mundane he hardly looked at the black bag he was to hand over on the evening of Aug 12.It’s a distance of about 20km, typically taking an hour of stop-start-stop ride through mid-week rush-hour traffic. But Reehan Baig was shocked beyond disbelief at the high drama stretching into nine hours: That he was being used possibly as a mule to ship banned drugs. Police said it could be a case of contactless drug supply racket.According to a complaint with police, Reehan said he accepted an order around 6.30pm on Aug 12. A man in his early 20s handed him the bag, with specific instructions: “Will pay more if you deliver it quickly.” Reehan, accompanied by friend Sachin, set out for delivery, but heavy rain forced the duo to take cover at Shivajinagar.The person who had booked the delivery kept calling Reehan repeatedly and insisting that the package be delivered without delay. When Reehan said he was stuck in heavy rain, he reportedly told Reehan to deliver the package at the earliest even if he got drenched. He promised that the recipient would pay an additional Rs 500.After reaching Vishwa Vihar in DRDO Phase 1 Township at 10.33pm, Reehan called the sender and the intended recipient, but there was no response from either. Later, the recipient requested Reehan to keep the package near the gate of the township. He made a UPI payment of Rs 270 at 11.23pm. Worried that someone might take the bag if he left it unattended, Reehan waited for nearly two hours and went home with the bag, planning to hand it the following day.However, when Reehan called the person who had booked the delivery, his number had been blocked. Curiosity building up, Reehan opened the bag and found a black pair of trousers, a black T-shirt, a white, blue and green towel and a ziplock bag containing a green substance.Reehan suspected it to be marijuana and handed it to police. The substance was hydro-ganja, which is cultivated indoors. Police made Reehan call the intended recipient and waited near Vishwa Vihar entrance for almost two hours. The person never turned up.Police are investigating the identities of the sender and intended recipient. “We’ve written to the logistics company for details of both persons,” a police officer said, adding they have booked a case under NDPS Act.
