Hyderabad: The city’s narcotics trade has reached alarming heights, with drugs valued at Rs 7.5 crore seized in a single day, signaling an escalating crisis as Hyderabad emerges as a central hub for heavy drugs and private party supplies.
Despite the continued efforts of the Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGNAB), Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (HNU), Excise, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and local law enforcement agencies to curb the flow, the growing sophistication of drug networks poses a significant challenge.
Interstate Links and Emerging Smuggling Routes: Recent investigations reveal that the drug operations in Hyderabad are part of a well-organised network with interstate and international ties. Sources indicate that smugglers have established drug production bases in Odisha specifically for hash oil, which is being distributed across India.
Along with ganja and hash oil from AOB (Andhra-Odisha Border), synthetic drugs such as cocaine, heroine, and Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) blotters are trafficked into the city from major hubs like Goa, Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai.
Technology and Party Season Fuel Demand Surge: Once primarily confined to pubs and rave parties, drugs now permeate the city’s social scene, with technology making it easier for dealers to reach buyers. As the winter and New Year season approaches, law enforcement is reporting a rise in activity, with interstate gangs and a surge of foreign nationals, including Nigerian drug networks, working to capitalize on the party season.
Nigerian Networks and Group Coordination: Nigerians dominate the synthetic drugs racket in Hyderabad, organising their operations through tightly-knit WhatsApp groups that streamline transactions. Bangalore serves as the central hub for their activities, with over 30 agents reportedly active in Hyderabad alone.
Additionally, organised groups from Rajasthan, Delhi, and Mumbai are also moving into the Hyderabad market. In a recent case, police arrested a Rajasthan-based dealer, Kishanram, in Chandanagar, uncovering a network of over 20 buyers across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Rising Prices and Dangerous Adulteration: As law enforcement pressures mount, drug gangs are taking extra precautions, resorting to more covert transaction methods.
Prices of popular drugs have surged due to heightened risk, with 5 grams of ganja costing around Rs. 1,000, methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine (MDMA) at Rs 20,000 per gram, LSD blots at Rs 3,000 each, and cocaine and heroine priced above Rs 10,000 per gram.
Small-time users are now turning into dealers, sourcing drugs cheaply from Goa, Mumbai, and Bangalore and selling them locally at inflated prices for double the profit.
However, this has also led to a dangerous trend of adulteration, as some peddlers mix sleeping pills with MDMA, cocaine, and heroin to increase their profit margins. Law enforcement officials warn that these adulterated drugs are potentially more harmful, putting users at greater health risks.
Police Response and Decoy Operations: In response to the drug network’s increasing sophistication, Hyderabad police have deployed teams for undercover, decoy operations to infiltrate and disrupt these networks. Officers are also tracing online group activities and tracking suppliers connected to major interstate drug hubs.
Despite these efforts, the growing number of players in the Hyderabad narcotics scene remains a pressing challenge. The authorities are intensifying surveillance and arrests, with a special focus on synthetic drugs and foreign-linked networks that continue to expand in the city.
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