Six Caught with Rs 1.5 Crore Hash Oil Strapped to Bodies in Vanasthalipuram

LB Nagar Special Operation Team sleuths and the Vanasthalipuram police arrested six persons, including two minors, on Monday for allegedly smuggling 12 kilograms of hashish oil valued at Rs 1.5 crore through Hyderabad.

The arrested individuals were identified as Gammeli Srinu, 25, his wife Nibiya, 27, who works as an IT employee, Chikkudu Saran, 21, and Pangi Jagadish, 19. Two other 17-year-old boys were apprehended as children in conflict with law.

According to police, four of the accused had strapped one-kilogram packets of hashish oil to their legs and stomachs using adhesive tape to avoid detection. Each carrier was allegedly transporting three kilograms of the contraband.

The group was transporting the consignment from the Alluri Sitharama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh to Bengaluru via Hyderabad. Acting on credible information, police teams intercepted the suspects in Vanasthalipuram while they were waiting to proceed on their journey.

Investigators revealed that Srinu had previously been arrested in connection with two NDPS cases registered at the Narsipatnam and Adavi Annavaram police stations in Andhra Pradesh. Following his release from jail, he allegedly resumed drug trafficking operations with associates based in Andhra Pradesh and Bengaluru.

Police said Srinu and Nibiya recruited unemployed youth from neighbouring tribal villages, offering them financial rewards to carry the contraband to Bengaluru. For this specific consignment, an alleged receiver in Bengaluru had promised Rs 10 lakh for the successful delivery of the 12 kilograms of hashish oil.

The accused had collected the substance from an alleged supplier identified as Krishna in the Chintapalli area before travelling towards Bengaluru by private transport. Both Krishna and the Bengaluru-based receiver, identified as Sijo, are currently absconding.

A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at the Vanasthalipuram police station. Police stated that efforts are underway to track down the absconding suspects and dismantle the broader supply network.