Hyderabad drug case: 'Gentlemen druggies' fly in Sheelavati from Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: Hyderabad could be where all the action is, but serving the capital city its heady dosage of drugs is a thick-network of `gentlemen users' flying in the stash, all the way from Visakhapatnam.

Their generic profile: young, suave white-collared executives -mostly employed with multi-national corporations in Hyderabad -with connections in the Port City.“They are usually in the 25 to 40 age bracket and often have a long-standing association with Vizag. Many among them are engineering and management graduates who perhaps went to schoolcollege there and built these contacts ,“ said a senior policeman from Visakhapatnam.

From the dealers in the Port City, these gentlemen users transport ganja packa ges to Hyderabad from where it then travels to peddlers stationed at almost 100 minor distribution points ­in Hyderabad and other major towns of Telangana, including Warangal.

Official estimates suggest close to 150 tonnes of ganja is routed from Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts, accounting for about 5% of the banned substance harvested every year in south Odisha and north coastal Andhra. The most-sought after variety: Sheelavati. Those familiar with `Sheelavati' say it's the prime variety of marijuana that's grown in Visakhapatnam and other north coastal zones. “This hybrid variety has high levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) a compound that affects behavioural pattern among users. If consumed in large doses, medical research suggests, it can severely impair many psychological functions (such as memory) and leave the individual disconnected,“ a senior psychiatrist said.

Tollywood

To Walk The Talk

A`walk against drugs' is to be organized by the Telugu film industry on July 30 at 7am at KBR Park in Banjara Hills. Many film stars are expected to participate in the walk.

Movie Artistes Association (MAA) president Shivaji Raja, general secretary Naresh and others met excise minister T Padma Rao at his residence on Thursday and extended an invitation to the minister to also participate in the walk. With the film industry being in the dock in the drugs case being probed by the excise department,MAA took the initiative to drive home the message that the industry was against drug abuse.

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