In a targeted crackdown, the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (HNEW) and Masab Tank police arrested three local drug peddlers involved in the MDMA trade, seizing 11 grams of the drug with an estimated street value of Rs4.65 lakh.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Upputuri Kartheek alias Alex (37) from Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, along with Chirumamilla Balaji (32) and Tandra Deepak (29), both local sub-peddlers.
According to officials, the trio operated a small but organised MDMA distribution network in Hyderabad. Kartheek sourced MDMA from absconding suppliers in Bengaluru, repacked the substance into one-gram sachets, and supplied it to Balaji and Deepak. The sub-peddlers sold it across the city at higher rates, forming a chain of procurement and distribution driven by personal financial stress and drug habits.
DCP HNEW, Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath, said, “Kartheek handled bulk sourcing, Balaji managed redistribution, and Deepak further sold it, creating an organised supply chain to earn profit from illicit drugs.”
