Who is AP drug don, TDP asks DRI

Mangalagiri: TDP Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar on Wednesday termed it as a matter of great alarm that almost all major drug hauls across the country these days were found to be having links with the mafia in Andhra Pradesh.

He expressed concern over the latest seizure of 972 kg ganja worth Rs 1.45 crore on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway. Once again, this massive drug haul was found to have roots in AP.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) should investigate thoroughly the emerging links of AP drug mafia with the international gangs. The DRI should find out who was the AP drug don behind the smuggling of lakhs of crores worth drugs to different parts of the country, he said.

Addressing a press conference here, Ravindra Kumar advised the AP DGP and the Vijayawada police commissioner not to make misleading statements on the Central probes into drug mafia.

That would only create confusion in the minds of the people. How can the AP top officials make official statements on the drugs investigation when they had no role directly or indirectly? The DRI officials were right now investigating after seizing thousands of crores worth heroin that was being smuggled in the name of Vijayawada-based Aashi trading company. The AP police should give necessary help to nab the culprits, the MP said.

He called it 'incorrect' on the part of the AP DGP to criticise the "political opponents" of the YSRCP government. How can the DGP make such comments when the DRI investigation was still going on, he asked and suggested that if the DGP was interested in politics, he should step down from his official position and join the political party for which he was working.

Ravindra Kumar demanded an explanation from the AP police on the latest reports about the links of Vijayawada'a Aashi company with sea don Md Sk Ali Shah who was carrying out illegal activities from the Kakinada port. There were reports that 'sea don' Ali Shah was a close associate of YSRCP MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy.

Ravindra Kumar said that even the DRI investigation officers were being shocked at the manner in which the AP mafia was transporting heroin and ganja in a variety of ways.

The seized drugs at Mundra port were booked for transportation to Machilipatnam port even though there was no export or import there right now. From there, the drugs were meant to be taken to Kakinada port where Ali Shah was carrying out his activities. The DRI should unearth the drug links of Gujarat, Vijayawada and Kakinada, he said.

The TDP MP pointed out that there were reports about Machavaram Sudhakar of Aashi company having direct links with Ali Shah. It was on the orders of Ali Shah that Sudhakar registered Aashi trading company in Vijayawada.

Even the Chief Minister's own media has widely reported that Vijayawada has turned into a gateway for smuggling foreign drugs into India. At such a time, the DGP and other state police officials should help nab the mafia rackets for safeguarding the security and integrity of India.