908 kgs of marijuana worth 2.7 cr seized by Task Force SEZ in Bandlaguda Police limits

Hyderabad: Task Force police have delivered a significant blow to an interstate drug syndicate with the seizure of 908 kg of ganja, valued at an estimated `2.7 crore, in Bandlaguda. Acting on a tip-off, the Commissioner’s Task Force South-East Zone, working with Bandlaguda police, intercepted the consignment at OS Palace Function Hall, Main Road, just as it was being transported towards Maharashtra.

Police identified the arrested trio as Mohammed Kaleem Uddin (32), a heavy vehicle driver from Golconda; Shaik Sohail (23), an AC technician; and Mohammed Afzal (25), a domestic appliances mechanic from Patel Nagar, Amberpet.

All three are childhood friends, previously linked to PDS rice smuggling operations, before being lured by the promise of easy profits from narcotics.

Investigators revealed that the main mastermind, Rahman (Kaleem’s elder brother), remains on the run along with associates Jithu (Kalimela, Odisha), Suresh (Srikakulam), and Mahesh (Maharashtra). The syndicate sourced the ganja from forest interiors near Kalimela, Malkangiri, Odisha.

The consignment was loaded in 28 HDPE bags, cleverly concealed under cashew shells and covered with tarpaulin before being whisked away.

According to the police, the accused were paid `3–5 lakh per trip, while their local handler Rahman pocketed a lucrative cut. After picking up the consignment, the gang parked their vehicle in Amberpet, Hyderabad, for two days, awaiting clear passage toward Nashik, Maharashtra.

Their journey was cut short as a coordinated police operation led to a swift interception, seizure of all contraband and related property, including the Eicher transport vehicle, four mobile phones, and `2,500 in cash, and the trio’s immediate arrest.

The case was registered under the NDPS Act at Bandlaguda Police Station. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East Zone), S. Chaitanya Kumar, praised the crack team for dismantling a significant link in the narcotics trade and recommitted to uprooting drug cartels.

Police believe the syndicate was preparing for routine, large-scale shipments from Odisha’s remote growth areas to multiple urban markets across Maharashtra and possibly beyond.

Simultaneously, teams are combing Hyderabad and other states to trace and apprehend the absconding kingpins. Preliminary questioning suggests Hyderabad is an emerging transit hub for narcotics, prompting authorities to intensify supply

chain surveillance, encourage citizen

vigilance, and maintain heightened readiness against organized drug activity.