Hyderabad: From 18-year-old Akshay Kannoli, the youngest drug peddler arrested by city police in November last, to 21-year-old Saad Mohammed, arrested by the Task Force on Thursday, Hyderabad’s market for psychedelic drugs is now being predominantly run by young students.
With their close ties to the notorious Goan drug circle, students have started peddling high grade Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD).
At least six of them have been arrested in the past eight months, and many are still on the prowl delivering LSD and charas. According to police, students in the city used to be among the customers of psychedelic drugs but now, they have adopted the tricks of the trade and established a vast network.
Saad Muhammed, a final-year student in a prominent engineering college and resident of Bowenpally, has been in the drug circle for nearly two years, consuming and selling LSD. His friends Prateek Bijjam from Madhapur and Raghavendra alias Raghav have been active peddlers here for over two years. While Saad Muhammad landed in police custody, the two others are absconding.
It’s believed these students visited Goa at least thrice a month to procure LSD and other psychedelic drugs. They buy it for cheaper rates and sell it in Hyderabad for a profit.
“They generally go to Anjuna beach in Goa, a centre for illegal drug trade that involves both foreigners and locals. They then smuggle the LSD to Hyderabad in liquid form in small bottles. It resembles bottles of eyedrops. They make the LSD blots here using small papers or stamps. One or two drop of LSD can make a single blot worth more than Rs 1,700,” said L. Raja Venkat Reddy, an Inspector with the City Commissioner’s Task Force. The team arrested three students while selling the drugs.
Apart from LSD, these peddlers sell charas, which is usually smuggled from Kasol in Himachal Pradesh. According to officials, majority of customers of LSD are students and there are a few IT professionals too who have taken a fancy to this drug. “Since this is a party drug, they usually use it during private parties at homes or farmhouses,” Mr Reddy said.
