Sangareddy turns drug manufacturing and sale hub

Sangareddy, which is seen as an entry and exit point to Karnataka and Maharashtra from Telangana, has apparently become a transit point for smuggling ganja from the Odisha-Andhra border and other places to Karnataka and Maharashtra

Sangareddy: Is Sangareddy district slowly turning into a hub for ganja peddlers and others making and selling a large variety of banned drugs?

Several incidents reported in the last few months across the district give credence to the argument. Seizures of ganja and ganja chocolates have become the order of the day in the district while other forms of drugs such as poppy straw, Nordazepam, Alprazolam and others too have been seized recently.

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Sangareddy, which is seen as an entry and exit point to Karnataka and Maharashtra from Telangana, has apparently become a transit point for smuggling ganja from the Odisha-Andhra border and other places to Karnataka and Maharashtra. Quintals of ganja have been seized in Sangareddy district while being smuggled to these two States. Recently, Excise officials seized 84 kg of ganja at the Muthangi toll gate on the Outer Ring Road while it was being smuggled to Maharashtra.

Interestingly, drug peddlers have made roadside dhabas their points for selling poppy straw being smuggled in from Rajasthan. In two incidents, the police seized poppy straw from two dhabas along the NH-65 under the Sadasivapet police station limits. The target of these drug peddlers was lorry drivers. The Hathnoora police also seized ganja chocolates at Malkapuram village which were brought from the Puranapul area in Hyderabad. The drug peddlers were targeting industrial workers in Patancheru, Jinnaram, Hathnoora, Sangareddy and Sadasivapet mandals.

Apart from this, peddlers were also luring school and college-going students. As a host of such incidents were reported in the last couple of months, Sangareddy Collector Valluru Kranthi and Superintendent of Police Chennuri Rupesh held a review meeting with all stakeholders in the district to discuss efforts to be put in to control the drug menace. SP Rupesh directed officials to identify the source where the drugs were coming from.

“Identifying the manufacturing units, ganja growing places, and units making ganja chocolates will be key to arresting the drug menace,” he said.

Collector Kranthi directed officials to put in a collective effort besides organising sensitisation programmes at industries, colleges and among drivers.