TGANB deploys 19 teams to tackle drug abuse at New Year party spots in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: As many as 19 special teams have been formed comprising officials from the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB), excise department and local police, who have intensified their vigil on partygoers for potential drug use as Hyderabad prepares to bid adieu to 2024 and welcome the New Year on Tuesday.

Teams will have mobile drug testing kits, sniffer dogs

Two teams would carry a mouth swab drug test while the remaining 17 will be equipped with ABON (urine kit). Recently, TGANB director Sandeep Sandilya wrote to the Police Commissioners of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda and the Prohibition and Excise Department director for this operation.

The teams will visit pubs, bars, hotels and resorts where New Year events are scheduled. Sniffer dogs would also be used to identify drugs concealed in cars, parking places, escalators and other places, the TGANB officials said.

Police warn vigilance on parties in gated communities

Over the past three days, police have increased their presence at bars, pubs, resorts, farm residences and locations where festivities are scheduled. Police authorities stated that if they learn of drug use among the partygoers, they will not think twice about monitoring parties in gated communities.

As many as eight consumers tested positive for a range of drugs including Marijuana, Cocaine, Amphetamine, and Methamphetamine at Quake Arena during a high-tech/discreet operation conducted by the TGANB, in collaboration with Cyberabad Police, in Madhapur on Sunday night.

DJ Ben Bohmer underwent a drug test during the Madhapur event

A majority of them caught in the recent drug bust work for top MNCs. The TGANB will soon be issuing letters to their respective HRs, the TGANB officials said. The TGANB and Cyberabad police did not spare celebrity DJ Ben Bohmer either. They carried out a drug test on him at the event at Quake. He did not test positive for drugs.

“We had already issued guidelines to the local law enforcement agencies to ensure the management of pubs, bars and other recreational places submit the details of the music band members and DJs,” the TGANB director said. The management should work as anti-drug soldiers and promote the ‘drug-free Telangana initiative,’ he said and added that those with a history of drug addiction and criminal cases should not be invited to perform.

Alcohol shouldn’t be served beyond a limit, say cops

Apart from that, customers under 21 years of age should not be served alcohol by pub and bar management. “If management has any suspicions, they must verify the consumers’ ages. Customers who are already quite inebriated shouldn’t be served alcohol by pubs, hotels and bar management. Selling any intoxicant to someone who is intoxicated is forbidden by Section 36 (1) (f) of the Excise Act,” Sandeep Sandilya said.

To gather information about the individuals who intend to provide and use drugs at the gatherings, the TGANB turned on its intelligence network. The TGANB claimed that ‘special undercover teams are keeping a watch on the dark web and tools used to track social media communications are employed.’