Hyderabad: With an unlimited supply of cocaine, charas, and marijuana, Hyderabad has turned into a drug haven with closed pharmaceutical units in the city taking up illegal drug manufacturing.
Frequent drug busts in the city are becoming a cause of alarm and it is also speculated that these drugs are being supplied to various parts of the country.
Not so long ago, drugs were an expensive affair, limited to a wealthy few and that's why it was also limited to elite circles, however, times have changed and today, even school children can access them.
At present, easily available marijuana has stealthily crept into middle-class homes, and Cocaine and cannabis, which were previously imported from Nigeria and European countries are now being manufactured locally.
Earlier, narcotics were supplied from Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru and Rajasthan to other Indian cities and towns but the city is now witnessing a large number of MDMA and LSD Blot raids.
Previous drug raids saw the arrest of foreign suppliers. But currently, more and more locals are involved in drug manufacturing and deliveries.
Hyderabad ranks third in the list of Indian cities surveyed for narcotics usage. After the arrest of a drug peddler named Kelvin in 2017, the Excise Department summoned several Tollywood celebrities. But most of the big names were acquitted.
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Drugs have become a part of the film and IT industries. In fact, they are making a regular appearance in school and college parties too. There has been a surge in narcotics usage in birthday parties and new year celebrations held in bars and pubs. Drug addicts and peddlers alike are fueling the supply chain.
Pharma units in Jeedimetla, Charlapalli, Nacharam, and Hayathnagar that have shut shop have now turned to drug manufacturing.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Excise Department has raided these units several times in the past. In August, DRI officials conducted a series of raids on these units and seized about Rs 100 crore worth of narcotics. On the other hand, the cannabis supply from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh is going unperturbed.
Marijuana is smuggled from the Chhattisgarh border to Khammam and then to Maharashtra via Hyderabad. Recently, the LB Nagar SOT seized cannabis worth Rs 1.3 crore that was being smuggled from Visakhapatnam to Uttar Pradesh.
Six months ago, a group of BTech students from Tiruvuru, Krishna district were arrested for supplying cannabis. Two months ago, Rs 8 crore worth cannabis was seized at the Bhadrachalam outpost. More recently, 270 kg of cannabis was seized in Karimnagar. Police confiscated 440 kg of cannabis that was being smuggled in a tractor from Khammam to Maharashtra.
Governments need to take more drastic measures to curb drug trafficking. Several non-governmental organizations have stressed the need to monitor pubs, bars, and suburb resorts.
Parents must keep a check on their kids’ activities. Anti-narcotics laws must be strictly enforced. In addition, medical professionals are urging parents to identify substance abuse in their wards and seek the help of counselors or deaddiction centers accordingly.
Governments must conduct extensive awareness campaigns about the perils of drug addiction. With the collective efforts of official machinery, drug trafficking can be controlled to a great extent.
