- Telangana EAGLE Force busted a multi-state drug network spanning Odisha to Hyderabad
- The probe began with a tip on May 28, leading to the arrest of alleged seller Satya Avinash
- Drugs were ordered via WhatsApp, and payments were made through PhonePe
Telangana Police's EAGLE Force has busted an alleged drug supply network stretching from the forests of Odisha to Hyderabad, following a roughly 10-week intelligence investigation that began with a single tip received on May 28.
The case began with information received through the EAGLE Force anti-drug helpline 1908. The tip identified 27-year-old Kukatpally resident Satya Avinash as an alleged seller of MDMA and LSD. Police questioned him and found him positive for ganja.
His questioning, however, allegedly opened the door to a much larger network.
Investigators found that drugs were allegedly ordered through WhatsApp, payments were made through PhonePe, and buyers were then sent Google Maps locations where they could collect the drugs.
Police subsequently launched a detailed intelligence operation through June and July, tracing the alleged supply chain from the Koraput forests of Odisha through Pachipenta and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh to Balanagar and Hyderabad.
During the investigation, around 31 alleged carriers, five key individuals linked to the network and approximately 230 consumers were identified.
The breakthrough came during the intervening night of August 12 and 13, when EAGLE Force teams launched a major enforcement operation. Police described the final phase as around 36 hours of continuous work.
Five alleged drug suppliers from Odisha, identified as Sanjya Mari, Kamesh Mari, Dambu Khora, Anasu Khara and Sethi Rakesh, were arrested. A juvenile linked to the investigation was served notice and released in accordance with the law.
Police also moved against the alleged consumer network. Around 180 suspected consumers were identified for further action, of whom 100 were apprehended or detained, including seven students.
Of those apprehended, 80 tested positive for drug use, police said. Thirty-eight were sent for de-addiction through the magistrate, while further rehabilitation measures are planned for the others.
While the five Odisha residents were arrested as alleged suppliers, the larger group of consumers was apprehended for investigation and rehabilitation-related action. The juvenile was dealt with separately through a notice.
The investigation has allegedly uncovered a sophisticated multi-state drug network that relied heavily on digital communication and payments, with limited face-to-face contact. WhatsApp was allegedly used for communication, PhonePe for payments and Google Maps for directing buyers to locations where drugs could be collected.
Police have appealed to students, parents and the public to report information about drug-related activity through the EAGLE Force helpline 1908 and urged young people to stay away from narcotics.
