Hyderabad: TheHyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (HNEW) team and Masab Tank police conducted a joint operation and apprehended three local drug and sub-drug peddlers. Police seized 11 grams of MDMA with an estimated street value of Rs 4.65 lakh.

Police arrested local drug peddler Upputuri Kartheek alias Alex (37) of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, along with two local sub-peddlers, Chirumamilla Balaji (32) and Tandra Deepak (29).

According to police, the three accused—Kartheek, Balaji, and Deepak—formed a chain of MDMA procurement and distribution driven by financial stress and personal drug habits. Kartheek began associating with Balaji and learned about MDMA sourcing. He frequently travelled to Bengaluru, procured MDMA from absconding suppliers, repacked it into one-gram sachets, and sold them across Hyderabad for profit.

“Together, their operation functioned on a supply chain where Kartheek sourced bulk MDMA, Balaji redistributed it, and Deepak further sold it at higher rates to earn easy money,” said Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath, DCP HNEW. The Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (HNEW) requested the public of Hyderabad to refrain from substance abuse and advised parents to keep a watch on the activities of their children to ensure they do not fall prey to drugs. Any information pertaining to drug abuse may be given to the HNEW team at mobile number 8712661601. The police urged the community to work together to secure a Drug Free Hyderabad city.