Hyderabad: Drug peddlers recruiting elderly persons as ‘courier agents’

Lonely senior citizens are made to smuggle marijuana and other narcotic substances in exchange for small commissions and alcohol

Hyderabad: In a new modus operandi aimed at escaping the scrutiny of enforcement authorities, drug traffickers from Hyderabad and also neighbouring States these days appear to be recruiting the elderly as ‘drug courier agents’.

Of late, authorities have come across instances of senior citizens being used to smuggle marijuana and other narcotic substances.

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Recently, the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) officials arrested an elderly woman while transporting marijuana and delivering it to consumers by concealing the contraband in a vegetable basket. Investigation revealed she had delivered drugs worth lakhs in the last few months. Further, verification of her bank account revealed transactions running into lakhs.

With the State government, particularly Hyderabad Police, conducting regular raids, busting drug rackets and making arrests, drug dealers have now turned to elderly people, especially those living alone, for drug trafficking. Vulnerable and in need of money, these lonely elderly persons are made to smuggle narcotic substances in exchange for small commissions and alcohol.

“Drug peddling gangs from other States are exploiting the elderly persons to transport drugs through the Andhra-Odisha border region. Within the city, they are used as courier agents to deliver smaller amounts to consumers,” said a police official.

They are also used as shadows to ensure the delivery of consignments as they mostly do not come under suspect lists of law enforcement agencies, the official added. “The drug traffickers seem to be counting on the elderly couriers as they usually are not paid much attention and not monitored,” the official said.

Police authorities say recently techies, employees of reputed private firms and even those from medical field are involved in drug rackets. Though increased vigilance on drug networks have now forced traffickers to keep off the business or hide for a while, some petty drug peddlers are returning after being released from jail.