Hyderabad peddlers use movie-style dead drops

Dead drop refers to a method of transferring information or items in a discreet manner, which involves leaving an item in a designated location for someone else to pick up later. Those making the dead drops leave clues for the intended recipients; in this case it is the pictures of the spot.

Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand explained how the task force teams discovered this trick. The peddlers would blend in the crowd. "Osman, the accused in these cases, would be provided the drop locations when he starts from Bengaluru. He would get a picture of a pole or a pillar at an isolated place where the drop has been made," he explained. Osman would pick up the consignment after making sure no one was around.

The accused used ‘mule accounts’ for payments. “To avoid detection and tracing, the peddlers sued calls over social media platforms,” Anand said and cautioned that the state police were equipped to track the suppliers, peddlers and consumers.

Anand also announced that strengthened collaboration between the police of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was on the cards to intensify efforts against the drug trade, particularly focusing on the illegal ganja supply chain that has been a growing concern in both states. He said that there are manufacturing units have been established in Odisha, which are now under scrutiny.