The Bommanahalli police arrested a gang of six, led by a drug peddler, for abducting an NRI from Australia for ransom on the pretext of selling drugs.

The accused have been identified as Monish alias Manu, Lokesh, Kishor Shiva, Athi Rooth, Dilip Kumar, and Satish Chandru. Monish is a tattoo artist-turned-peddler, while others worked as push-cart vendors and cloth sellers, the police said.

The victim, who had come from Australia to meet his brother, was allegedly addicted to drugs and used to purchase from Monish online. Suspecting that the victim had lots of money, Monish roped in his associates and abducted the victim on February 20 on the pretext of delivering drugs. The accused called the victim to deliver the drugs near a private school in Bommanahalli and later, forcibly took him in his car to a secluded area.

The accused physically assaulted the victim and coerced him to transfer ₹98,000. The accused later forced the victim to call his brother demanding more money, said the police.

The victim’s brother, along with his friends, went to the spot and rescued his brother, while the accused fled the spot. The victim initially refused to file a complaint fearing legal action against him, but after he was admitted to the hospital and a report was filed, the police tracked down the accused on Sunday.

Based on information from the accused, the police also arrested Sathyanarayan Mahato, a drug peddler who used to supply marijuana to Monish. Mahato hails from Bihar and used to source the drugs from his contacts in the neighbouring State, said the police. The police seized 400 gm of ganja worth ₹24,000 from Mahato and booked a case against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.