Drug dating app

CHENNAI: The Chennai city police have busted a network that has been supplying Methamphetamine (MDMA) drug by targeting gay men through a dating app. Three men have been arrested. Thirteen grams of MDMA, syringes, three mobile phones, three bikes and cash were seized from the accused identified as S Asif Raja (21) of Tiruvottiyur, K Mathi (35) of Panaiyur and S Hussain (36) of Royapuram.

The main accused, Hussain, a native of Gujarat and working here as a customer care executive, befriended men through Grindr, an application for gay men. “He got the drugs from Mumbai through courier. After giving the men a dose of the drug for free while being with them, he later made them suppliers so that they would get it for free,” said the police.

“Hussain befriended Mathi, who worked in a medical shop, through Grindr app and started supplying him the drug to sell and make money as he thought Mathi would be a safe bet.” Based on a tip-off that Asif Raja, a fashion designer, was supplying MDMA in syringes in Thiruvanmiyur, the police arrested him. Based on information from him, the other two were secured. 

While Hussain sold one gram of MDMA to Mathi for Rs 3,000, the latter sold the same quantity for Rs 6,000 to Asif Raja. Asif in turn mixed it in water and sold one ml for Rs 500. From one gram of MDMA, about 40 doses could be made and sold in syringes, making the street value of 13 grams of seized MDMA to Rs 2.6 lakh, the police added.

Trekker dies while climbing Annamalai Hills in T’malai
Tiruvannamalai: In a tragic incident, a 42-year-old trekker died after he collapsed while climbing the Annamalaiyar Hills on Saturday. According to police, Anandaraj and 15 others were trekking on the 2,668 ft-tall Annamalaiyar hills when Anandaraj had difficulty in breathing and collapsed.