Hyderabad, Jun 4 (PTI) Telangana’s anti-narcotics unit ‘EAGLE’ Force busted an international drug smuggling syndicate allegedly involved in trafficking Hydroponic cannabis from Thailand to India, and arrested the kingpin along with 16 other accused, officials said on Thursday.
During investigations it was revealed that the syndicate had engaged gang members including sharp shooters of previous underworld gangs of Mumbai.
The accused were arrested since April 8 by the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE Force).
Acting on credible information, EAGLE Force initially arrested two accused at Ramachandrapuram near here on April 8, and seized Hydroponic ganja weighing about 12.739 kg valued at Rs 12.7 crore.
During interrogation, both the accused disclosed their involvement in a drug trafficking network operating between Bangkok, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, and named other associates who were absconding.
During the course of investigation, the main kingpin of this drug cartel–Hemang Keluskar was arrested, EAGLE Force Director Sandeep Shandilya told reporters here.
“The EAGLE Force made sustained efforts and arrested the main kingpin Hemang Keluskar. The syndicate had some members of previous underworld gangs of Mumbai,” he said.
Hemang with the support and assistance of his father, along with his younger brother, entered club business in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2023. Since then, they have allegedly been involved in the smuggling of Hydroponic cannabis from Thailand to India through a well-organized network of carriers and distributors, Shandilya said.
For their operations, they chose Thailand, where premium-quality Hydroponic cannabis is cultivated extensively and is available at comparatively lower prices than in the global market, he said.
To establish their network, they initially entered into a partnership with a club in Thailand, where they identified Indian customers who were habitual consumers of Hydroponic cannabis. Through these contacts, they also identified local drug suppliers and peddlers. To facilitate the smuggling operation, they recruited mule carriers to transport the contraband from Thailand to India.
The carriers travelled through different international airports in India, particularly those where baggage screening was perceived to be less stringent, the EAGLE Force Director said.
Based on the statements of the accused persons, evidence collected during the investigation, and technical analysis, it was revealed that the syndicate had utilized approximately 300 carriers to transport Hydroponic cannabis from Thailand to India.
The investigation done so far revealed that 29 drug couriers from Mumbai, Amreli, Surat, Jabalpur, Ranchi, Ludhiana and Hyderabad were used and they were caught by DRI and Customs officials.
“..they would have brought in 250 kgs of OG weed priced at around Rs 200 to Rs 250 crores since October 2023,” he said.
This drug cartel engaged 14 youth from Telangana by luring them with payment of Rs 20,000 per trip for transporting ganja from Thailand and they brought OG Kush on 21 occasions, he said. Out of those 14, 12 people have been arrested.
“Even if you take conservative estimate of six kgs per trip that would mean that they have brought 120 kgs of OG Kush worth Rs 100 crores to Rs 120 crores,” he said.
Shandilya further said as part of their strategy, the kingpins established a firm in association with international drug suppliers and peddlers for the cultivation and procurement of Hydroponic cannabis from local cultivators under the guise of medical and commercial use, taking advantage of Thailand’s policies encouraging cannabis related businesses for economic growth, he said.
Once the contraband reached India, it was transported to Mumbai whenever the carriers arrived at airports other than Mumbai. Thereafter, the Hydroponic cannabis was distributed to peddlers and consumers through an established network, he said.
All payments for the narcotic substance were received in cash. The proceeds generated from the sale of the contraband were subsequently routed back to Thailand through hawala channels and reinvested into the illegal drug trafficking operation, Shandilya said.
During investigations, names of 88 couriers have been identified and it was revealed that they have made 172 trips to and from Bangkok.
The narcotic substance was bought for Rs 3 lakh per kg in Bangkok and sold between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 1 crore per kg in India, the official added. PTI VVK VVK ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.