In what could be termed a milestone achievement, an interstate drug racket operating in Hyderabad has been busted for the arrest of three Rajasthanis who are said to be transporting and selling poppy straw. Arrests were made on Monday following intelligence inputs into their apprehension made on Sunday evening within the jurisdiction of the Meerpet police station.
According to Rachakonda Commissioner of Police, G. Sudheer Babu, the police seized about 53.5 kg of poppy straw, which is approximately valued up to Rs 1.25 crores in the illegal market. The arrested have been identified as residing in Rajasthan while acquiring the drugs from a Madhya Pradesh-based supplier and transporting the poppy straw to Hyderabad to sell it to individuals in and around the city.
Meanwhile, the recovery of three mobile phones and other incriminating evidence from the accused was made as part of the Meerpet police operation. These are being analyzed to further probe the drug supply chain and identify other individuals involved in the racket. The authorities are winterized with further leads to hunt absconding members of the syndicate and the buyers and consumers connected to the illegal trade.
Poppy straw has been defined in the NDPS Act of 1985 as a true narcotic drug. It serves as a desiccated capsule emptied of all usable forms of opium; its illegal employment poses great threats to public health and safety. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are confident of uncovering more details about the extent of the racket and its connections across states.
