Hyderabad: Police busted an inter-state drug racket and seized 164.86 kg of ganja, arresting two accused who allegedly transported the contraband from Odisha to southern states.
The Special Operations Team (SOT) of Cantonment Zone, along with Abdullapurmet Police Station, carried out the operation on March 1. Officers intercepted the accused near Nalgonda Dharma Kanta before the Outer Ring Road.
Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. During the crackdown on the drug racket, the team seized 80 packets of ganja weighing 164.86 kg.
Inter-state drug racket worth Rs.41.21 lakh exposed
The seized contraband carried an estimated value of Rs.41.21 lakh. In addition, police confiscated one Kia car and two mobile phones allegedly used for transportation and communication.
The arrested accused were identified as Nabin Sabar, 28, and Sudhkar Mandal, 27, natives of Gajapati district in Odisha. According to investigators, they agreed to transport ganja consignments for Rs.60,000 per trip.
Police revealed that the duo had already delivered two consignments to Karnataka before their arrest. Furthermore, one of the accused had figured in a 2023 narcotics case in Odisha.
Inter-state drug racket accused remanded
Following their arrest, police produced both accused before the court. The court remanded them to judicial custody.
Senior officers supervised the operation against the drug racket. DCP B. Anuradha of LB Nagar Zone monitored the case.
K. Manohar, DCP Road Safety and in-charge SOT Malkajgiri, and N. Narasimha Reddy, Additional DCP SOT-1, oversaw the investigation. B. Koteshwar Rao, Additional DCP LB Nagar Zone, also supervised the operation.
ACP P. Kashi Reddy of Vanasthalipuram and ACP C. Anjaiah of SOT-1 guided the team. Inspector K. Srinivas of SOT Cantonment Zone, along with the SHO and staff of Abdullapurmet Police Station, executed the arrests.
Police said further investigation into the inter-state drug racket was underway to trace the wider network.