New Delhi: There has been a massive surge in seizures of drugs across India in recent weeks as the New Year celebrations draw near. Multiple drug busts have been carried out across India, with significant confiscations arrests made in various cities. The seizures have sparked growing concerns over narcotics trafficking.
These operations, carried out in cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi, have led to the seizure of large amounts of illegal drugs, including ganja, MDMA, poppy straw, and other contrabands. The growing complexity of drug trafficking networks, which mostly involve both interstate and international players, is worrying and needs to be checked soon.
Hyderabad
On Tuesday, the State Excise and Prohibition officials carried out raids and searches targeting gangs who were involved in importing large quantities of drugs into Hyderabad and storing them. The officials of the State Task Force as well as Excise Department conducted these raids. Around 21 kg of ganja was seized, and six offenders, including inter-state peddlers, were arrested on December 17.
Just a day before that, an interstate drug racket was smashed with the arrest of three persons from Rajasthan who were allegedly transporting and selling poppy straw. The arrests were made by the Rachakonda Police in Telangana. In the operation, 53.5 kilograms of poppy straw, valued at approximately Rs 1.25 crore, were seized by the police. It is believed that the accused obtained poppy straw from a drug peddler in Madhya Pradesh, which they then transported and sold to customers in and around Hyderabad. The police also seized three mobile phones and other incriminating materials from the suspects.
In a major operation in November, a large stock of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances that were unlawfully stored in two private hospitals in Hyderabad were seized by the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) of Telangana. The seizure took place during a joint operation with the Prohibition and Excise Department, conducted on November 7 and 8. Fentanyl, ketamine, and midazolam injections, commonly used as anesthetics, were confiscated from Bakoban Hospital in Chandrayangutta and BVK Reddy Hospital in Warasiguda, Secunderabad.
Bengaluru
Ahead of the new year celebrations, in Karnataka’s largest drug seizure till now, Bengaluru’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) carried out a raid on December 17 and recovered 12 kilograms of pure methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) crystals, worth Rs 24 crore. An international narcotics operation was busted in the raid.
The Anti-Narcotics Wing arrested Nigerian national Roselime Oluchi Ikeoha, aged 40, who had been residing in the city for nearly five years after overstaying her visa. She had been operating a shop catering to foreign nationals, where, under the guise of selling food products, she was allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking. Acting on reliable information received on December 13, the CCB team conducted a raid at the location and arrested her. During questioning, the woman confessed to sourcing MDMA crystals from an African-origin supplier based in Mumbai at reduced prices and selling them at more rates to foreign nationals, college students, and software professionals.
Chennai
Two days ago, Egmore Police arrested two persons, including a woman from Assam, who were allegedly involved in drug peddling and seized 700 grams from them. On December 10, nine persons were arrested in three cases for possessing meth at Maduravoyal, Kodungaiyur and Madipakkam. The police recovered 42.5 gm meth, 1.7 kg ganja and two weighing machines from them.
On November 17, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Indian Navy and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in a joint operation seized 700 kg of methamphetamine and arrested eight suspected Iranian nationals from a foreign vessel off the Porbandar coast. Earlier on October 2, the Delhi Police made one of the biggest drug busts ever seen in the city, seizing over 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana estimated to be worth around Rs 5,620 crore. A few days before that, in Gujarat, a joint operation by Delhi Police and Gujarat Police led to the recovery of 518 kg of cocaine worth Rs 5,000 crore.
