Marijuana worth ₹1.3 crore seized, 6 peddlers arrested in Hyderabad

The arrested have been identified as Karan Parusharam Parkale (27), Ajay Mahadeo Ethape (31), Santosh Anil Gaikwad (30), Akash Shivaji Chaudhari (23), and Vinod Gade (40) from Maharashtra, as well as Bhukya Sai Kumar from Telangana.

Arrested suspects. (Supplied)

The arrested have been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985.

According to the police, raids are being conducted in different locations to arrest three absconding peddlers, identified as Raju and Bheema from Odisha, and Ambothu Nagaraju from Telangana.

The operation

A joint operation was carried out by the Abdullapurmet police and the Special Operations Team (SOT) from the LB Nagar zone based on inputs received on drug pedalling.

“The suspects were travelling in two cars with the marijuana consignment. The vehicles were intercepted near the Outer Ring Road under the Abdullapurmet police jurisdiction,” a police officer from the Abdullapurmet Police Station told South First.

Seized 590 kg marijuana. (Supplied)

“We have recovered a total of 103 packets of marijuana — 48 weighing 10 kg each and 55 weighing 2 kg each — while searching the cars,” the officer added.

He said that the arrested were transporting the marijuana consignment to Maharashtra via Hyderabad from the Malkangiri district of Odisha.

According to the officer, the arrested would have sold it to the local peddlers for ₹15,000 per kg.

Regular smugglers

The officer said the two absconding suspects from Odisha — Raju and Bheema — were the main suppliers, while Parkale was the main buyer.

According to the police, Parkale used to procure marijuana from cultivators in Malkangiri and supply it to local peddlers in different states.

“Parkale has been running the illicit transportation of marijuana from Odisha to Maharashtra via Telangana since 2019 to make easy money,” said the officer.

“He was arrested in 2020 by the Visakhapatnam Police and was in jail for around six months. He is also wanted by the Rachakonda Police in three similar cases,” he added.