Drugs reaching Hyderabad in pickle jars, as protein supplements

HYDERABAD: In the recent arrest of 59-year-old businessman M Krishna Kishore Reddy (59), who was caught in possession of cocaine by the H-NEW team, investigators stumbled upon new leads on how drug peddlers are now packing in parcels of protein supplements and pickle jars and using private travels buses to ferry the contraband.
H-NEW sleuths, who arrested Kishore from his Banjara Hills house on December 31 for allegedly being in possession of two grams of cocaine, said that he obtained the narcotic substance from a Bengaluru-based supplier who is yet to be arrested.
"Kishore has been procuring cocaine from the Bengaluru-based peddler through private travels buses. The peddler has been packing the contraband in parcels of protein supplements and pickle jars. Unsuspecting bus drivers have been used as couriers. The peddlers sends details of the bus, driver and the parcel to Kishore so that he could collect the contraband in Hyderabad," said a police official.
He came under the radar of law enforcement agencies for the first time in June 2021 as a drug consumer when they arrested a Yemeni peddler. Under the provisions of NDPS Act, he even attended a rehabilitation programme.
Excise sleuths raided a house in Banjara Hills and arrested Abdurabu Mohammed, a Yemen national, and his associate Solomon Raj from Balamrai. The law enforcement officials seized 17 grams of cocaine, 73 Ecstacy pills, eight grams of MDMA and 15 grams of charas from the accused.
Ameerpet excise sleuths identified Kishore as one of the consumers linked to the accused. "Kishore sought immunity from prosecution under section 64-A of NDPS Act by volunteering to attend a drug rehabilitation programme," said an excise official.