Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (HNEW) along with various local police stations conducted multiple joint operations across the city on Wednesday, arresting several interstate and local peddlers, transporters and consumers, and seizing significant quantities of narcotic substances worth lakhs of rupees.
Cocaine smuggled from overseas through ships
Disclosing the case details before the media persons at TGICCC building here, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police CV Anand said in one of the largest operations, the HNEW team, along with Golconda Police, apprehended four interstate drug peddlers from Mumbai, a local peddler and two consumers.
The arrests led to the seizure of 276 grams of cocaine and eight mobile phones, all valued at Rs 69 lakh, he added.
The CP said that the key accused were identified as Mujaffar Wahid Shaikh (30), electrician from Mumbai; Vinod Kishanlal Shrivastav (53), taxi driver from Mumbai; Chaitanya Vinayak Wagh (29), 3D artist from Mumbail; Mustak Khan (31), delivery boy from Mumbai; and Prem (29), local software employee from Hyderabad.
The operation uncovered a well-organised drug supply chain where cocaine was sourced from foreign suppliers via sea routes and distributed to Mumbai-based sub-suppliers, eventually reaching Hyderabad-based peddlers like Prem.
The investigation revealed that Prem, despite multiple arrests for narcotics offences since 2022, continued to peddle cocaine to sustain his lavish lifestyle, Anand said.
Meow-Meow racket uncovered in Begum Bazar
In another operation, HNEW and Begum Bazar Police arrested two interstate drug transporters from Rajasthan and a local peddler and seized 100 grams of Meow-Meow (MD), a country-made pistol, six live rounds, an empty bullet shell and three mobile phones, all valued at Rs 10 lakh.
Accused in the case were identified as Pawan Bhati (24), juice vendor from Rajasthan; Hemsingh Kachhawa (26), unemployed from Rajasthan; and Jeetendra Panwar (38), a sweet shop worker from Hyderabad.
The local peddler Jeetendra, originally from Rajasthan, procured MD from his native contacts Pawan and Hemsingh and sold it in Hyderabad. Police also seized a country-made pistol worth Rs 70,000 from his possession.
Notably, Hemsingh has a criminal history involving a POCSO case in Rajasthan in 2021.
Software employee arrested with cocaine and ecstasy
In a separate operation, the HNEW team and Bollaram Police arrested Harshavardhan (28), a software employee, for peddling drugs. Police seized 10 grams of cocaine, 11 ecstasy pills weighing 6 grams and a mobile phone worth Rs 3.1 lakh.
Investigations revealed that Harshavardhan, a BTech graduate working in a reputed IT firm, turned to drug consumption following a personal setback.
Eventually, he began procuring cocaine from Bangalore and Goa through courier and personal trips and selling it to customers in Hyderabad to fund his extravagant lifestyle.
Police appeal for public vigilance
The Hyderabad Police have emphasised that educated professionals, petty job holders and businessmen are increasingly engaging in drug trafficking either due to financial struggles or for lavish lifestyles, posing a severe threat to society.
The Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing urged parents to keep a close watch on their children to prevent them from falling prey to drugs and appealed to citizens to report any information on drug activities to HNEW at 8712661601.
