Food delivery agents supplying drugs to evade suspicion: Uttarakhand police

DEHRADUN: The arrest of two online food delivery executives by Dehradun police on Tuesday for allegedly supplying drugs to buyers across the state capital has revealed a new crime trend. State police's anti-drug task force (ADTF) officers told TOI that drug traffickers these days hire food delivery executives for delivery to avoid police suspicion.
TOI had earlier reported on April 7 this year that ADTF has come to know about drug traffickers using online food delivery executives to deliver drugs. However, they were yet to find such a case till then.
One of the ADTF officers privy to the new trend in drug trafficking in the state, on condition of anonymity, said, “The tactic not only helps the drug traffickers evade police suspicion but as the food delivery executives are well aware of the city routes, it makes it easy for them to flee the spot in case of police action.”
While addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Daleep Singh Kunwar informed that the two arrested persons were employed with two online food delivery majors - Zomato and Swiggy, respectively. He added that the accused had bought a car, four motorbikes and even a plot in Dehradun’s Pithuwala area with the money they earned from selling drugs.
Besides, the two food delivery agents, a gym trainer, identified as Neeraj Rana, 21, was also arrested on Tuesday. All three accused hail from Saharanpur but were living in Dehradun for the past four years. The accused would buy drugs at cheaper rates from Uttar Pradesh and then sell it in Doon.