Telangana Prohibition and Excise department teams have seized 56 grams of cocaine worth around ₹ 3 lakh from three persons in Hyderabad on Monday. The contraband was seized during checks in Dhoolpet, Sun City, and a chase till Jiyaguda in a span of around 15 minutes. The three persons, including a Ghana national, were arrested.
Based on a tip-off, Hyderabad District Task Force Inspector K Karuna along with her team went to Jummerat Bazaar in Dhoolpet. Upon seeing the Excise team, two men on a two-wheeler tried to escape from the spot but they were caught at around 8.35 p.m. The two were Maurice Basagria Omah, a Ghana national, and Sundeep Kumar Shah.
Excise Superintendent (Hyderabad) CH Vijay said that seven grams of cocaine and ₹ 36,500 cash was found from Sundeep’s pocket.
“Upon enquiry, Sundeep said that he has received the cocaine from Maurice. When Maurice was enquired, he revealed that he had sold cocaine to a person named Syed Liyaqat a few minutes ago,” said Mr Vijay. The Excise teams got to know that Liyaqat was traveling in a SUV towards Jiyaguda.
An Excise team from Dhoolpet Excise Station rushed in vehicles. Prohibition and Excise sub-inspector J Nagaraju and his team managed to trace and stop the vehicle at around 8.45 p.m. — 10 minutes after Maurice and Sundeep were caught. They have found 11 grams of cocaine with Liyaqat.
“On enquiry, he has revealed that he got the drugs from Maurice Basagria Omah just a few minutes ago, on the instructions from his master Yagyananad,” as per a press note. Simultaneously, Excise sub-inspector R Sampath Kumar and his team went to Maurice’s home in Sun City and found 38 grams of cocaine.
Altogether, 56 grams of cocaine was seized and three people were arrested. Mr Vijay said that Yagyananad was absconding.
