'Cocaine In Sandal Heels': Drug Network Dismantled In Hyderabad
In a major crackdown on narcotics that has sent shockwaves through Hyderabad, the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) has dismantled a highly sophisticated, transnational drug trafficking network operating in the city, involving an engineering graduate, who is also an entrepreneur and cocaine hidden in sandals.
The operation has identified 25 accused and led to the arrest of a prominent hotel entrepreneur and five others. It unravelled a nexus - connecting Nigerian drug suppliers, upscale Hyderabad pubs, and intricate courier routes with techies, doctors, those in real estate and the food and beverages business.
The key accused arrested is a 34-year-old Surya Annamaneni, a well-educated engineering and MBA graduate and resident of Kompally, who owns the 'Malnadu Kitchen' restaurant.
The operation led to the arrest of a prominent hotel entrepreneur and five others
Annamaneni's arrest has laid bare a disturbing trend of narcotics consumption and distribution among the city's affluent social circles, involving digital financial transactions and ingenious concealment methods.
Acting on specific intelligence, EAGLE intercepted Annamaneni near his restaurant. A search of his Tata Scorpio revealed a cache of narcotics, including 10 grams of Cocaine, 3.2 grams of OG Kush (Ganja), and 1.6 grams of Ecstasy pills. The cocaine, alarmingly, was found hidden in the heel compartment of a woman's sandals, meticulously packed in a pink cardboard box and shipped from Delhi via Shree Maruthi Courier under the alias 'Fatima'. The unit said that the method underscores the escalating sophistication employed by drug syndicates to evade detection.
Annamaneni, who previously worked as a sales manager in Bengaluru before venturing into the hospitality sector in Hyderabad in 2020, revealed the breadth of his activities. What began as recreational use quickly escalated into a high-volume procurement and distribution operation.
His confession pointed to a vast network of suppliers in Himayatnagar, Karimnagar, and Khajaguda.
More critically, he divulged his dealings with a formidable network of Nigerian drug traffickers operating out of Delhi, Bangalore, and Goa, identified as Nick, Jerry, Dezmond, Stanley, and Prince.
Large-scale financial transactions, including Rs 1.39 lakh through "Ternion Hospitality" (a business entity linked to Annamaneni's restaurant ventures) and another Rs 41,000 via ATM, were made to the bank accounts of Nigerian national Nick in Canara Bank and HDFC Bank. In return, cocaine and MDMA were dispatched via courier, cleverly disguised within household items. The drugs were then stored in Annamaneni's car or restaurant for onward distribution.
The investigation has also cast a harsh spotlight on several upscale Hyderabad pubs, including Prism Pub, Farm Pub, Block 22, Bird Box, Xora, Broadway, and Quake Arena, said Chennuri Roopesh, SP, the officer heading EAGLE, told NDTV.
Annamaneni admitted to frequenting these establishments and consuming drugs in what he described as "concealed or restricted areas", raising questions about the pubs' complicity in facilitating drug consumption. He also confessed to multiple trips to Goa and a 2022 visit to New Delhi, where he procured cocaine from Nigerian suppliers.
The list of named consumers is extensive, spanning professionals, gym partners, techies, doctors, and even pub directors, indicating the widespread penetration of these narcotics within various societal strata.
Financial dealings were maintained through both personal and commercial bank accounts, including those linked to Ternion Hospitality.
EAGLE has meticulously documented the seizure, adhering strictly to all procedural requirements under the NDPS Act. A case has been registered under relevant sections, and Surya Annamaneni has been remanded to judicial custody.
The investigation is ongoing, with EAGLE determined to trace the full financial flow, unravel the courier channel nexus, unearth digital footprints, and ascertain the precise role of pubs and other establishments.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the evolving nature of drug networks in urban India, where educated individuals, tech-savvy payment methods, and sophisticated lifestyle environments converge to form high-value trafficking and consumption rings.
Trending News