Bengaluru tattoo artists turned drug peddlers, wanting to be 'drug lords' like Escobar, arrested

Two tattoo artists who drew inspiration from the infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and turned drug peddlers are now cooling their heels in a Bengaluru prison.

Acting on credible information, CCB sleuths raided a flat on the fourth floor of a building in Narayana Reddy Layout in Electronics City and arrested Sigil Varghese, 24 and his live-in partner Vishnupriya S, 23, both from Kerala.

The duo had stocked the drugs in their other flat at Chandapura. The Chandapura flat was raided where drugs worth Rs 5 lakh including MDMA Ecstasy pills, and LSD strips were seized.

Police found a photo of Pablo Escobar and a diary having details of their peddling during the operation. On questioning, the duo confessed that he was their role model in drug peddling. “We wanted to become drug lords like him. So, we have his photo in the house for inspiration”, a senior officer quoted the duo as saying.

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They would pack drugs after getting orders on WhatsApp and drop off the packages at isolated or odd places for the consignees to pick up. They would leave the contraband on trees, in groves, under debris and such other places. They would click photos and make videos of the area. Once the customer made the payment digitally, they would share the location, photos and videos. The customer would pick up the drugs.

Varghese and Vishnupriya studied together in a college in Coimbatore. They came to the city almost two years ago and worked as tattoo artists. Desperate to become rich, they sourced the drugs on the darknet and from Nigerian peddlers. They had been earlier arrested by Hulimavu police and were in prison for two months. After coming out on bail they continued peddling.