The Nellore police in Andhra Pradesh uncovered a major drug racket with the arrest of four persons, seizing 600 mg of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 900 mg of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), besides 1.04 grams of cocaine.
The accused were identified as 23-year-old Lakshminarayana from Chennai, 21-year-old Nellore degree student Sadiq, and two African nationals — Samuel Uche from Nigeria and Yehiram Nunes from Guinea-Bissau.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, District Superintendent of Police Aishwarya Rastogi said that the racket mainly targeted students and young men in Nellore town.
Lakshminarayana would procure drugs through a friend by accessing the dark web and paid for the substances in bitcoins, while Samuel and Yehiram would purchase drugs from Bengaluru, investigation officials said. An initial probe stated that the visas of both African natives had expired and they were found to be residing illegally in India.
Sadiq, who was a user himself, would purchase the drugs from the other three accused and supply it to his friends in Nellore, the police said.
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Registration of Foreigners Act.
In April this year, the arrest of four persons in Visakhapatnam highlighted a similar issue. At the time, the police said that unemployed youth in their early and late 20s who are addicted to hard drugs like LSD and MDMA were turning peddlers to fund their addiction and make a quick buck.
Officials suspected that at least 40 youth, who frequently attend rave parties, could be involved in peddling small quantities of the drugs.
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