Hyderabad: Major drug bust by STF nets eight arrests and cocaine, MDMA haul

Hyderabad witnessed a major drug bust as the Excise Special Task Force (STF) carried out overnight raids in multiple areas of the city. The operation, which started late Saturday and continued into the early hours of Sunday, led to the arrest of eight suspects and the seizure of cocaine and MDMA.

During the drug bust, officials recovered 33.3 grams of cocaine and 7.97 grams of MDMA. According to police, Misbahuddin Khan and Ali Asgar, both residents of Hyderabad, frequently travelled to Bengaluru to purchase cocaine at ₹9,000 per gram. They smuggled it back into the city using a car owned by US citizen Zubair Ali.

Bengaluru–Hyderabad supply chain exposed

The STF intercepted their vehicle near Vardhaman Bank in Ramkoti and arrested Khan and Asgar. Police seized the cocaine and an Innova car used in the operation. In another raid near Shamshabad, Mirza Safi Ali, Abdul Ub White Syed, and Abdul Hussain were arrested with 5.88 grams of MDMA.

Meanwhile, another STF team arrested Nagula Sai Praveen, Manochander, and Srivardhan from Serilingampally, recovering 2.07 grams of MDMA. Police booked all eight accused and launched a wider probe to identify the full supply network operating between Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Crackdown on Hyderabad drug network

Officials emphasised that this drug bust is part of an intensified crackdown on narcotics in Telangana. Police have stepped up coordination with Bengaluru counterparts to trace suppliers and shut down cross-state trafficking routes. Authorities warned that Hyderabad continues to be a target market for synthetic drugs, but more such raids will follow.