Hyderabad: The Malkajgiri Special Operations team, in coordination with Keesra police, arrested an interstate drug peddler on Friday, October 10, in a major crackdown on narcotics. The accused, identified as 26-year-old Lokesh Bareth from Rajasthan, was caught while attempting to hand over 7 kg of opium and 2 kg of poppy straw to an unknown transporter near Kundanpally ORR Rotary. The total value of the seized drugs is estimated at around Rs 1 crore.

Police investigations revealed that Lokesh, who had recently lost his job as a hotel manager in Rajasthan, had been out of work for nearly three months when he came into contact with a man named Jagadish Gujjar. Together, they devised a plan to sell narcotics in Hyderabad and Chennai for financial gain. Earlier in August, Lokesh had already delivered 2 kg of opium to an unknown recipient near Kachiguda railway station. On October 8, he boarded a train from Rajasthan with a larger consignment of opium and poppy straw, arriving in Hyderabad just before his arrest.

The Rachakonda police have warned citizens against procuring, selling, transporting, or consuming banned drugs, citing severe penalties under Section 31A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Those found guilty can face up to 10 years of imprisonment, or in extreme cases, the death penalty. The authorities are actively pursuing the second accused, Jagadish Gujjar, who remains at large, as part of their ongoing efforts to dismantle the interstate drug network.