Hyderabad Police Crack Down on Interstate Cocaine Network in Major Raid
In a significant operation targeting drug trafficking, sleuths from the EAGLE Force, in close coordination with the Gachibowli Police, conducted a raid at a flat in Kondapur on Monday, leading to the arrest of an interstate drug peddler and two of his associates.
The authorities seized a substantial quantity of 32 grams of cocaine, valued at approximately 3.8 lakh rupees, and successfully identified 15 city-based consumers linked to this illicit network.
Profile of the Main Accused and His Downward Spiral
The primary suspect, identified as Vegesna Murali Krishnam Raju, aged 24 and originally from West Godavari, is an engineering dropout who faced a series of personal and professional challenges.
After working in low-paid jobs across Uttarakhand, Pune, and Goa, Raju reportedly fell into addiction to alcohol and drugs, which eventually led him into the dangerous world of drug peddling.
Evolution of the Drug Supply Chain and Distribution Methods
According to police investigations, Raju initially sourced cocaine from a dealer in Manikonda, paying 10,000 rupees per gram. However, a few months ago, he shifted his supply sources to contacts in Goa and Bengaluru, including a Nigerian individual known as Invest, alias Clifford.
This new connection allowed him to procure the drug at a reduced cost of 7,000 rupees per gram, which he then sold locally for up to 12,000 rupees per gram, significantly boosting his profits.
Raju established a sophisticated distribution network that heavily relied on WhatsApp chats for communication and online payments routed through friends' bank accounts to avoid detection.
He employed the 'dead-drop' method, a tactic where contraband is delivered without direct contact with buyers, further complicating law enforcement efforts to trace transactions.
Roles of the Associates and Broader Network Implications
The co-accused include Bhupathiraju Chiranjeevi Varma, a 28-year-old private employee from KPHB, who purchased cocaine from Raju and referred additional customers to expand the network.
Another associate, Rudraraju Hemanth Raju, a 37-year-old businessman based in Vijayawada, had recently begun using the drug, indicating the spread of consumption beyond Hyderabad.
All three individuals tested positive for cocaine consumption, as confirmed by an EAGLE official, highlighting the personal involvement of the accused in the drug trade.
Additional Arrests and Ongoing Investigation Efforts
In a related development, police have also booked the driver of a private travels bus that transported consignments from Bengaluru, as well as a Rapido rider who delivered contraband to the accused.
This action underscores the multi-faceted nature of the operation, involving various modes of transport and delivery to facilitate the drug trade.
The arrests and seizures mark a critical step in disrupting this interstate network, with authorities continuing to probe deeper into the connections and potential international links, such as the Nigerian supplier.
