Drug bust in Rachakonda: Duo caught smuggling Rs 1.2 crore worth Hashish Oil to Bengaluru

Hyderabad: Two persons were arrested with 20 kg of Hashish Oil valued at approximately Rs 1.2 crore. The bust was done in Peddamberpet on the city’s outskirts by the Special Operations Team (SOT) of LB Nagar Zone, in coordination with Abdullapurmet Police, Rachakonda Commissionerate. The police said the operation is a major step towards disrupting the narcotics supply chains passing through Hyderabad.

Disclosing the case details before the media, Rachakonda Commissioner of Police G Sudhir Babu said that the accused, identified as Pangi Keshava Rao (40) from Alluri Sitarama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh and Jayaram Khemundu (26) from Koraput district in Odisha, were apprehended while waiting to deliver the contraband to a buyer from Bengaluru.

Contraband obtained from tribal belts in AP and Odisha

The duo was reportedly procuring Hashish Oil from tribal belts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and using Hyderabad as a transit hub to reach markets in Karnataka. The two accused were acting on behalf of a key supplier, Krishna, a childhood friend of Keshava Rao and a resident of Dumbriguda mandal in Alluri Sitarama Raju district, who remains absconding.

Elaborating further, the CP said that Krishna allegedly introduced Keshava Rao to the illicit trade, promising large profits. The two accused had purchased the 20 kg consignment from Krishna and travelled to Hyderabad to deliver it to a Bengaluru-based contact who is also yet to be identified and apprehended.

Habitual offender involved in massive trade

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were involved in the trade to earn easy money, purchasing Hashish Oil at a low cost and selling it in Bengaluru for nearly 10 times the procurement price. Approximately 35 to 40 kg of ganja are required to produce one kilogram of Hashish Oil, indicating the scale and potency of the illegal operation, Sudhir Babu said.

Police also confirmed that Keshava Rao has a prior criminal record and was previously arrested in a narcotics case by Anakapalli Town Police in Andhra Pradesh.

The arrests were made following credible intelligence, with the accused nabbed near Sampoorna Hotel, close to the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Peddamberpet during the early hours of June 11. A case has been registered under Cr. No. 392/2025 U/s 8(c) r/w 20(b)(II)(C) of the NDPS Act, 1985.

Efforts are ongoing to trace and apprehend Krishna and the unidentified Bengaluru buyer. The Rachakonda Police have reiterated their commitment to curbing drug trafficking and have urged the public to assist by reporting suspicious activities.