A major drug trafficking ring operating across multiple states was dismantled with the arrest of Nakul Kailash Gaikwad (36), a key smuggler from Maharashtra, by police in Choutuppal. Bhongir DCP M Rajesh Chandra revealed the details during a press conference on Sunday.
Nakul Gaikwad, who has been involved in ganja trafficking for over five years, was caught transporting 102 kilograms of marijuana. The consignment was purchased from Veerababu, a supplier based in Kannuripalem village, Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh.
The ganja was neatly packed into 51 packets, each weighing 2 kilograms, and concealed in the trunk of Nakul’s Maruti Swift Dzire. To evade detection, Nakul frequently changed his vehicle’s number plates according to the state he was passing through—Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra—making it difficult for law enforcement to track him.
The police received a tip-off from a vigilant citizen, prompting intensified checks at the Pantanga toll plaza in Choutuppal. Suspicious of a vehicle with mismatched number plates, the police stopped Nakul and discovered the hidden drugs.
Along with the ganja, authorities seized two mobile phones, Rs2,000 in cash, and multiple vehicle number plates from different states. During interrogation, Nakul admitted that the marijuana was destined for distribution in Maharashtra, coordinated through a dealer named Setu from Uttar Pradesh, with supplier Veerababu from Andhra Pradesh also involved.
This arrest marks a significant blow to the drug smuggling network that has been active for years.
