Serving Air Force officer arrested in international drug syndicate

New Delhi: A Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force has been arrested by the NCB from Maharashtra in connection with its probe in an international drug racket involving a scientist and his wife.

Officials said Wing Commander G Rajasekhar Reddy was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in coordination with Nanded Police on Monday and brought to Hyderabad today, based on investigations after a drug racket was unearthed in Hyderabad two days back.

They said Reddy, posted at Air Headquarters in Delhi, was the alleged "kingpin" of the racket and his purported involvement was revealed after the questioning of the duo in Hyderabad. Some mobiles and Rs 7.5 lakh in cash were recovered from him.

Officials said Reddy was produced in a court in Hyderabad today which sent him in NCB's custody.

The NCB had on Monday seized 231 kg of the banned narcotic drug amphetamine, worth about Rs 45 crore, from Hyderabad and Bengaluru and arrested three persons including a research scientist and his wife.

NCB first seized 221 kg of amphetamine from two persons at Miyapur area here on September 30.

Venkat Rama Rao, a research scientist in a reputed private chemical firm of Bengaluru, had come to Hyderabad to collect the contraband from Ravi Shankar Rao, NCB said.

After Venkat and Ravi Shankar were arrested, 30 grams of amphetamine and Rs 1.23 crore in cash were seized from a house rented by Venkat near Electronic City in Bengaluru, and his wife was also arrested.

Further, 10 kg of amphetamine was seized from a manufacturing lab in Bollaurm area here on October 1.The seized amphetamine was worth about Rs 45 crore.