Hyderabad drugs case: NCB looks for links outside Telangana

Hyderabad: The Narcotics Control Bureau is working on leads outside the state leading to the drug racket in the city. NCB deputy director-general Rajendra Pal Singh will arrive in the city later this week to discuss the different aspects of the investigations with officials of the excise Special Investigation Team. Excise SIT chief Akun Sabharwal said the assistance of the NCB and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence was being taken in the probe to track the links outside the state.

NCB Bengaluru zonal director S.K. Sinha said, “The seizure of drugs has increased. It does not mean that addiction has increased, it is only that detection has increased. Our agencies are able to detect more cases of drugs being peddled.” Addicts may also turn into peddlers, Mr Singh said. He added, “Usually in metros, there would be multiple sm-all groups of peddlers ope-rating. These groups may have connections so that the supply chain is maintained.”

Mr Singh said that as per the law, 0.1 gram of LSD was a commercial quantity. “LSD is smuggled in small quantities and it is very difficult to detect it. There could be multiple sources of the drug,” he said. Asked about the status of the NCB’s role in the ongoing investigations, Mr Singh said, “Investigation into the Hyderabad racket is being done by the state excise department right now. Once the international links emerge, we will be following up them up. Currently we are working with Excise SIT.”