On Friday, October 10, the Malkajgiri Special Operations team, in coordination with Keesra police, arrested interstate drug peddler Lokesh Bareth (26) from Rajasthan while he was handing over 7 kg of opium and 2 kg of poppy straw at Kundanpally ORR Rotary in Hyderabad.
The seized drugs are valued at approximately Rs 1 crore. According to Rachakonda police, Lokesh had recently lost his job as a hotel manager in Rajasthan and, after three months unemployed, connected with one Jagadish Gujjar to sell drugs in Hyderabad and Chennai.
Earlier, in August, Lokesh had delivered 2 kg of opium near Kachiguda railway station. On October 8, he traveled again from Rajasthan to Hyderabad with a larger consignment.
Lokesh was caught during the handover to an unidentified receiver. The other accused, Jagadish Gujjar, remains at large, with police actively pursuing his arrest.
Authorities have issued strict warnings under Section 31A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which prescribes imprisonment up to 10 years or even the death penalty for those involved in illegal drug trade.
