Hyderabad: In a dramatic anti-drug operation, the Hyderabad police detained 14 individuals who had allegedly turned up to buy ganja from a peddler near a bank in Gachibowli on Saturday, July 12.
Among those caught were IT professionals, students, a dental technician, an architect, an advertising agency employee and two couples, one of whom brought their four-year-old child along.
According to a report by The Times of India, the operation was conducted by the anti-narcotics wing EAGLE, which had received information that the peddler, identified as Sandeep from Maharashtra, was going to supply drugs in the area. While the peddler managed to escape, police apprehended the buyers when they reached the location.
Couple Detained With Child
One of the most unexpected elements of the bust was the presence of a young child. According to the police, the husband was taken into custody, while the wife and child were allowed to leave. The code phrase used to indicate the peddler’s arrival as intercepted by the police was, “Bhai baccha aa gaya bhai”, signalling that Sandeep was in town with the ganja consignment.
Police also said that the customers were largely between the ages of 22 and 34. As each of them had arrived at the designated spot, officers reached the spot to detain them before they could make contact with the supplier.
Search Underway After Peddler Escapes
Sandeep, who reportedly travelled from Maharashtra to supply ganja, managed to flee before the officers could catch him. Authorities said that efforts to trace his whereabouts and dismantle the wider network are currently underway.
The arrests have raised serious concerns about drug usage among young professionals and students in Hyderabad.
