Police on Tuesday busted two drug racket networks in the State capital by recovering cocaine worth Rs.10 lakh from a Nigerian and 200 gm of charas from a local.
The clientele of the arrested foreigner, Okechukwu Ozhazruike, 27, and Irfan Mohd Ayaz of Rajendranagar, include youths, students, rich businessmen, entrepreneurs and high-income earning professionals, Hyderabad Police Commissioner A.K. Khan told a press conference.
Special teams of Commissioner's Task Force cast a net for drug peddlers in the city following the information from two Uganda nationals recently arrested on charge of selling drugs.
They learnt the Nigerian, who came to India in June, 2009 accompanied by Uganada national, Tony, on a four-month visit visa, was selling narcotics here. Ozharzruike was residing in Defence Colony of Sainikpuri and networked with gangs smuggling and selling drugs in all major cities in the country.
Tony introduced his customers and another drug supplier, De Romo, believed to be Nigerian and operating from Mumbai, to the arrested foreigner.
The accused would purchase cocaine for Rs.2,000 a gram and sell it to customers for Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,000 a gram in city.
He was caught near Jubilee Bus Station while waiting for a customer. Subsequent raid on his house resulted in seizure of 210 grams of high quality cocaine.
A clothe merchant, Ayad, got addicted to drugs and resorted to sale of charas to come out his debts. He had been purchasing charas from his acquaintances in Mumbai for Rs. 60,000 a kilo and sell the same for a profit of Rs. 40,000 a kilo. Most of his customers are students and businessmen.
In another case, the Task Force (West) team nabbed three youths at Paradise junction and seized two country-made pistols, four magazines and 14 live rounds of 9 mm and 7.65 calibre from them. The arrested - Mohd. Nizamuddin Khan hailing from Mursheedabad of West Bengala was working as labour contractor in Hyderabad.
He planned to make money by procuring firearms through his acquaintances in his home State and make money by selling them in Hyderabad. Recently, his associates - Mohd. Razak and Kanchan Das- brought the two pistols with ammunition only to be caught by the police.
“Drugs usage –especially by students- has gone up in city. We have mobile phone numbers of persons contacting drug peddlers but cannot announce their names in the absence of proof,” said police commissioner A.K. Khan.
