Drug bust in Hayathnagar: Four caught with Rs 50 lakh worth ganja; drugs en route to Maharashtra

Hyderabad: A ganja peddling racket was busted and four persons were arrested while transporting 166 kilograms of dry ganja worth over Rs 50 lakh.

The Special Operations Team (SOT) of LB Nagar Zone and Hayathnagar police caught the four individuals who were using Hyderabad as a transit route to smuggle the narcotics from Odisha to Maharashtra.

The operation was conducted following a tip-off, leading to the interception of a vehicle near Dhananjaya Function Hall in Hayathnagar. Apart from the contraband, police also seized a Force Trax Cruiser vehicle, four mobile phones, and Rs 6,200 in cash.

The total value of the seized assets is estimated at Rs 65 lakh.

Case details

The arrested individuals have been identified as: Vikas Baban Salve (30), a painter from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. He is the alleged mastermind and has a pending NBW in an NDPS case from Alair Police Station. Ranganath Yuvraj Salve (36), a farmer from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He also has a pending NBW in an NDPS case registered at Bhadrachalam.

The other two arrested were identified as Sagar Gajanan Khandebharad (29), a Central Government employee working as a track maintainer in the Nanded division of the Railways and Amol Narayan Borde (26), a farmer from Aurangabad who acted as the driver during the smuggling operation.

Smuggling network and modus operandi

Disclosing the case details before the media, Rachakonda Commissioner of Police G Sudheer Babu said that the kingpin, Vikas Salve, reportedly came into contact with the main supplier, Maik alias Rahul alias Dass, a resident of Odisha.

Motivated by quick profits and a lavish lifestyle, Vikas formed a network with his friends in Maharashtra, many of whom were enticed by the lucrative drug trade.

The gang procured the ganja from Kurumanur village in Malkangiri district of Odisha and planned to transport it to Maharashtra via Hyderabad. The accused were en route when they were intercepted and arrested.

Notably, Hyderabad is increasingly being used as a strategic transit point by drug traffickers ferrying narcotics from the eastern states to markets in western India, he said.

Ongoing Investigation

Efforts are underway to locate the main supplier, Maik alias Rahul alias Dass, who is currently absconding. Police are also verifying the criminal backgrounds of the arrested individuals and suspect more links to organised smuggling rings.

Sudheer Babu, lauded the efforts of the SOT LB Nagar Zone and Hayathnagar Police for their swift action. Rachakonda Police reiterated their strong commitment to fighting the drug menace through sustained enforcement and community awareness. Citizens are urged to report drug-related activity and cooperate with authorities in building a drug-free society.