Hyd: Drug Peddling Through Dark Web, Crypto Payment

Over six drug peddlers having links with ganja smugglers have been taken into custody for involvement in transactions using dark web and cyrptocurrency.

Hyderabad police commissioner CV Anand said that the arrested include Utkarsh Umang alias Aashu, Abdullah Khan, Sahil Sharma — all BBA students and classmates. Five-star hotels and hangouts frequented by children belonging to the rich families are the business hubs of these peddlers.

The others among the arrested — Indrakumar, Charan, Sandeep – work in software and film industry. A B.Tech final year student is also found to be involved in the network and he did transactions worth Rs 15 lakh in the last six months. One other youth in the network is absconding.

The city police chief said that the raid on the Pudding and Mink pub sent signals to the youth of wealthy families that the police can arrest them and take action against them.

Following Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s orders to make Hyderabad a drug-free city, the police are on the vigil against drug peddlers and would not allow at least a gram of ganja to be sold in the city, he said.

As many as 600 drug consumers have been identified in the last one month. They include those into software jobs and even students.

In the last eight months, the Narcotics Enforcement Wing did some significant work. They had been working at five different levels. They have created terror among those involved in the sale of narcotics to such an extent that they are fearing to move in Hyderabad. Their conversations on various social media and on phone were intercepted and the sleuths found that they are asking the buyers and agents to either come to Goa, Bengaluru or Rajasthan to buy the contraband and making it clear that they would not step into the city.

Anand claimed that the Hyderabad police had arrested and shifted four kingpins in drug smuggling from Goa where the illegal business is rampant. BJP activist Sonali Phogat consumed drugs in Goa and she died there.

He appealed to the parents to open the courier boxes and envelopes and be on the lookout if their children are getting addicted to vices.