Hyderabad: Two smugglers arrested with drugs and cash

Hyderabad: The Rachakonda Police in Telangana have busted an international drug racket and arrested two drug peddlers on Tuesday.

A consignment of 8.5 kg of Pseudoephedrine (a narcotic control substance) was recovered from the accused, Mohd Kasim and Rasuldeen.

Apart from the drugs, cash and other materials were also recovered from the accused. The total worth of the booty recovered from the accused is estimated at nine crores.

The police said the Pune and Hyderabad air cargo routes were being used by the drug smuggling gangs in Tamil Nadu to smuggle pseudoephedrine and other banned items to Australia and New Zealand.

“They used to book the drug parcels at international courier services located at Pune and Hyderabad by concealing the pseudoephedrine in cloth boxes, bangle boxes, baby wear gift packs and others,” said Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat.

The accused have confessed to smuggling 15 consignments containing nearly 70 kg of pseudoephedrine to Australia and New Zealand this year alone. The smugglers used the Aadhar and PAN cards of the local people to book these parcels, said the police.

“They travelled to Hyderabad by bus and reached on December 11. Then they put up at a lodge with the intent of packing and transporting the drug when caught by the police. Apart from pseudoephedrine, Rs. 4,02,500 in cash and other materials were found in their possession,” said Bhagwat.