4 drug peddlers arrested in Vizag; LSD, MDMA seized

Visakhapatnam: Four drug peddlers were arrested during a police raid in the old Port Quarters here and ganja and LSD seized from their possession. One of the men, 26-year-old Manukonda Satyanarayana, had earlier been arrested for supplying drugs to Vizag youths for a rave party in April 2019.

The city task force, led by assistant commissioner of police A. Trinad Rao, and assisted by cops of Fourth-Town police station, arrested Manukonda, Majji Ajay Kumar (24), Kandhi Ravikumar (22), and Kethi Manoj Swaroop (24). They also recovered 2.5 grams of methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), 61 blots of LSD, and 60 gms of ganja. Four mobile phones and Rs. 9,500 cash was also recovered from them.

News of Vizag youths using drugs like LSD and MDMA surfaced when the police busted a rave party at Rushikonda in April 2019. However, this proved to be only the tip of the iceberg. The police said that some ganja smugglers in the Vizag region have developed links with Nigerians in Hyderabad and Goa. They are importing MDMA and LSD in exchange for ganja.

The cost of one LSD blot is around Rs. 500 in Goa, while it is Rs. 2,000 in Vizag. Similarly, one kg dry ganja costs around Rs. 5,000 in Vizag Agency whereas it is sold for around Rs. 35,000 in Goa.

Manukonda had been arrested in April 2019 for supplying drugs for the rave party in Vizag. He is a resident of the Seethampeta area in Vizag city and had also been arrested for ganja smuggling and supplying weed earlier.