Vizag cops nab 5 drug peddlers, seize 50 LSD blots

Visakhapatnam: The Vizag city police busted a drug peddling gang and arrested five persons under the IV town police station limits on 7 August. The police seized 50 LSD blots (Lysergic Acid Diethyl Amide), 4.4 grams of white powder (suspected to be MDMA), five mobile phones, and a car.

The accused were identified as P. Ravi Kumar, O. Vasudeva Katanya, M. Mojesh, A. Yada Kishore, and M. Sandeep. Another accused, Dilip, is still absconding.

Some of the accused has a history of involvement in NDPS cases. All of them are between 25-28 years. The main accused, Ravi Kumar, studied ITI and intermediate and works as a sales promoter at TATA Motors. He had previously been involved in an NDPS case in Goa. According to the commissioner of police, Ch. Srikanth, the gang procured drugs from Goa and sold them in different parts of the city. The gang created groups on WhatsApp and Instagram and were selling the drugs through dark websites.

"During interrogation, it was revealed that Ravi Kumar sold ganja in Goa to Dilip and his friends. He procured ganja from a local person, Dinesh, who was earlier arrested by the CTF team in a drugs case in Gajuwaka PS on 21 July," said the CP.

In this connection, he went to Goa four times and was arrested by the Goa police while in illegal possession of ganja. After being released, due to financial problems, he made a deal with Dilip to sell drugs in Visakhapatnam city and collected six LSD blots in Goa from Dilip (on the eve of Holi 2022) and sold them to Dilip's friends. The drugs were concealed in cigarette packets. On the eve of Friendship Day on 7 August, Dilip told Ravi to sell drugs to his friends in Visakhapatnam and sent 50 LSD blots. The CP said the investigation is on to unearth the drug network.

The Visakhapatnam city police have appealed to the parents to keep a close watch on their children and immediately take them for professional counselling if they notice any abnormality and signs of depression. Parents may also avail the facility of the city police's counselling centre "MARPU" where several children addicted to drugs are given counselling and efforts are made to change their lives.