Hyderabad: Small-time drug peddlers try to fill smuggling ‘vacuum’

Hyderabad: With the listed drug traffickers behind bars following the police crackdown on drug cartels in the city, the small-time peddlers, who went unnoticed till now, are trying to fill in the vacuum in the illegal business.

If the recent arrest by the Police and, Prohibition and Excise officials, is analysed several first-timers were caught for selling various banned items like ganja, hash oil, MDMA pills and other items.

On Wednesday, the Habeebnagar police arrested nine persons aged between 19 and 24 years for consuming and trading in MDMA pills, ganja and hash oil. All of them were procuring it from their sources in and around the city. The police seized hash oil and weed from them.

“During the inquiry, it was found the group was using as well as supplying ganja/hash oil to their friends. For small amounts of money, the youngsters are indulging in sale of the banned items,” said Habeebnagar Inspector, M Narender.

Last week, the SR Nagar police caught a lab technician who is a ganja addict and with the help of his friend was procuring the contraband from Adilabad and trying to sell it in his social circles in the city. The police seized one kilogram of the ganja and 205 ml of hash oil.

“They aimed to make a profit by selling the contraband. Prices of ganja increased several fold following the crackdown,” said an official of S R Nagar police station.

In another case, in December, the Task Force (West) team caught three persons, one working as a delivery boy in Flipkart and seized 100 ml of hash oil from them at Yousufguda. The trio was selling 5 ml bottles of hash oil for Rs 2,000 to customers.

“Unemployed persons and youngsters are trying to engage themselves in the illegal business in hope of making quick money. On every activity, we keep a watch and at appropriate time, nab them,” Task Force (west) Inspector, P Rajesh said.

An official working the Prohibition and Excise department said that the demand for the ganja will not die down easily and those addicted are trying newer ways to get it. “In such situations, new persons who do not have a previous criminal history or for some reason did not come under the surveillance of law enforcement agencies will try to fill in the vacuum and sell it to users. To deal with it, technical surveillance and a strong information network is required,” he explained.

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