Hyderabad: The LB Nagar Special Operations Team (SOT) in collaboration with the Hayathnagar police has arrested two interstate drug peddlers and seized 13.5 kilograms of hashish oil along with other items, collectively valued at ₹1.08 crore.The accused, identified as Vanchurbha Konda Babu (30) and Vanchurbha Balakrishna (20), both farmers from Andhra Pradesh, were apprehended late Sunday night while en route to deliver the contraband at Taaza Foods Hotel, located in Peddamberpet village, LB Nagar. The police also recovered two mobile phones, ₹2,000 in cash, and other materials from the accused.During a press conference on Monday, Rachakonda Police Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu disclosed that the two men, who are cousins, turned to drug trafficking to supplement their income from farming. They sourced the hashish oil from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and were using Hyderabad as a transit point to supply the Bengaluru market.The investigation revealed that Konda Babu was introduced to the illicit trade by an acquaintance he met at a cattle market in Annavaram, Alluri Seetharama Raju district. Lured by the promise of substantial profits, Konda Babu, along with his cousin Balakrishna—who has a prior arrest under the NDPS Act—decided to smuggle hashish oil. They purchased the substance at a low cost and sold it in Bengaluru for a significant markup, sometimes over ten times the purchase price.On August 10th, the duo procured 14 kilograms of hashish oil from Chaduru Mamidi Kondalu, a village located 15 kilometers from their hometown. They transported the contraband to the outskirts of Hyderabad, where they were instructed to deliver it at Taaza Foods Hotel. Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested them at the delivery point. Although the intended receiver managed to escape, the peddlers were caught red-handed with the hashish oil concealed in plastic bottles inside college bags.Commissioner Sudheer Babu emphasized the growing trend of drug traffickers involving family members in the trade to earn quick money. He highlighted that approximately 35 to 40 kilograms of ganja are required to produce one kilogram of hashish oil, and the 13.5 kilograms seized in this operation would have consumed around 560 kilograms of ganja. According to police estimates, the total market value of the seized hashish oil is around ₹14 crores.The Commissioner also urged the public, particularly students, to steer clear of narcotics, warning that offenses under the NDPS Act are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and in severe cases, the death penalty as per Section 31A of the Act. He called on society to assist the police in eradicating this growing menace.The Hayathnagar police have registered a case under Crime Number 904 of 2024, invoking Section 8(c) read with 20(b)(ii)(C) of the NDPS Act, 1985. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
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