Hyderabad: Excise State Task Force busts cocaine racket, arrests three including US citizen

Hyderabad Excise STF arrested three people, including a US citizen, and seized 33.3 grams of cocaine from a racket on Abid Road. Police are tracing the absconding suspect and the larger network behind the drug smuggling operation.

Hyderabad: The Excise State Task Force (STF) busted a cocaine racket in Abid Road on Sunday, arresting three persons including a US citizen and seized 33.3 grams of the contraband substance from them.

According to the Excise Department officials, the raid was carried out near Vardhman Bank following a tip-off and arrested Misbahuddin Khan of Ram Koti, Ali Asgar Gulabi of Banjara Hills and Zubair Ali, a US citizen. Another accused, Mohammed Azim of Bengaluru, is absconding.

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Police said Misbahuddin and Ali Asgar, both addicted to cocaine, frequently organized parties. Since supply was scarce in Hyderabad, they procured the drug from a Bengaluru-based smuggler, Mohammed Azharuddin, at Rs 9,000 per gram. They further smuggled it into Hyderabad and sold it to consumers here for higher rates.

Authorities have intensified efforts to nab the absconding suspects and trace the larger network behind the racket.

The team also seized four mobile phones and a car from the suspects.