Rs 70-Lakh Drug Racket Busted In City, 5 Arrested

In a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking, the Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (HNEW), in coordination with the Langar House police, today busted an interstate drug network and arrested five persons, including a key peddler, a supplier and two delivery agents.

The police seized 5 kg of hash oil and 5 kg of ganja, along with a Honda Aviator scooter, six mobile phones, cash and packing material, valued cumulatively at Rs 70 lakh.

The operation was carried out on November 13 within the limits of the Langar House police station.

The prime accused, Vykunta Rao alias Balu, a native of Srikakulam and a repeat offender, allegedly sourced hash oil and ganja from Odisha at low cost through a Paul Khila, with the help of a supplier named Krushna Jalla. Both are natives of Odisha.

Police said that Balu packed ganja in small paper rolls and hash oil in small PET bottles with the help of delivery boys Balaji and Chaitanya, who were his distant relatives, and distributed them across Hyderabad and Cyberabad.

He allegedly procured hash oil in kilogram quantities and sold it in five-gram units to consumers.

To evade detection, he used virtual phone numbers and operated only during fixed hours, the police added.

The police have appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report drug-related information to the HNEW helpline at 8712661601.