Telangana’s Kasauli emerges as new drug procurement hub

HYDERABAD: As Telangana police intensify their crackdown on NDPS cases, it has come to light that Kasauli, located at the foothills of the Himalayas, is a new destination for procuring narcotics.

Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (HNEW) and Jubilee Hills police recently apprehended V Lakshmipathi, a drug peddler, in an operation. Lakshmipathi’s arrest led to the revelation that peddlers are exploiting new routes to evade law enforcement agencies.

In the raid, authorities seized 43 LSD blots, a KIA car, and a cell phone, valued at Rs 11,50,000.

Lakshmipathi was involved in multiple narcotics cases registered at S Kota excise police station in Andhra Pradesh, Afzalgunj and Nallakunta police stations in Hyderabad. A B Tech student, Lakshmipathi’s descent into the drug world began with his addiction to ganja, leading him to procure and sell the substance sourced from Araku. Seeking higher profits, Lakshmipathi ventured into the party scenes of Goa and Kasauli, places notorious as meeting point for drug peddlers and consumers.

Lakshmipathi expanded his operations from procuring drugs from Araku to sourcing them through courier parcels from Mumbai. His modus operandi involved discreet communications via Snap Chat to ensure anonymity and evade law enforcement agencies. The seized LSD blots, sourced from Mumbai, highlight a significant pivot in his drug procurement and selling strategy, utilising logistics for distribution.

The Film Nagar cops arrested a Nigerian citizen over drug smuggling and peddling charges on Saturday. The cops seized 16 grams of cocaine. It is reported that the accused, Okaro Cosmos Ramsey, alias Andy, used Telegram to maintain his illegal operations