Drug racket: Seven charge sheets filed, 12 cases registered

Seven charge sheets were filed and 12 cases were registered by the State Prohibition and Excise Department which busted the sensational drug racket in and around Hyderabad in 2017. A total of 22 people were arrested and 11 people connected to the Telugu film industry were questioned.

Hyderabad: As per an RTI report issued on Tuesday, as many as 7 charge sheets were filed by the State Prohibition and Excise Department which busted the sensational drug racket of supplying high-end narcotics in and around Hyderabad in 2017.

A total of 12 cases were registered since the racket involving supplying high-end drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), was unearthed by the department's Special Investigation Team, which as part of its investigation had also probed the alleged drug-links with the Telugu film industry.

"Seven charge sheets have been filed till date and in the remaining five cases investigations are continuing," a senior excise department official said. When asked about reports that none from the film industry, who were among the over 60 people examined, was charge-sheeted, the official declined to comment.

A total of 22 people were arrested including a US citizen, who was a former aerospace engineer and had worked with the NASA, a Dutch national, a South African national besides seven BTech degree-holders employed with multi-national companies.

After names of some members of the Telugu film industry had popped up during interrogation, the SIT summoned them under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The probe team questioned 11 people connected to the Telugu film industry including actors and directors besides the driver of one of the actors and had also collected hair and nail samples. The SIT questioned them to find out if they had any links with the racket as consumers or suppliers, or with those arrested.

The racketeers placed orders through 'Darknet' (a restricted online network frequently used in illegal activities) and the drugs were delivered by couriers, including from overseas, SIT officials said.

The investigators suspect that the gang's clients comprised nearly 1,000 customers, including students of city-based schools and colleges, people associated with the Telugu film industry, senior officials of MNCs and employees of IT firms in Hyderabad.

LSD is sold in tablets or in liquid form and is known to be one of the most potent 'mood-changing' chemicals while MDMA, commonly known as 'Molly' or 'Ecstasy', is used as a recreational or party drug.