Bangladeshi woman, partner held for peddling synthetic drugs in Hyderabad

A 30-year-old Bangladeshi woman and her 35-year-old live-in partner were arrested for peddling synthetic drugs in Hyderabad. Telangana EAGLE Force and Raidurgam police, seized one gram of the drug and two mobile phones from their residence at Pochamma Basthi in Shaikpet during a raid.

The accused were identified as Alpha (whose name has been changed), a native of Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Shyam Rao, a private employee. An officer from the EAGLE force said that Alpha had been staying in India since December 2021, when she arrived on a tourist visa, and got involved in prostitution and drug peddling. A supplier identified as Akash, based in Goa, is absconding.

“Alpha lost her job in the garment industry during the Covid pandemic and travelled to India in search of employment due to financial difficulties. After failing to find a job, she came in contact with Noor, a man from Uttar Pradesh whom she had befriended on Facebook. He allegedly lured her into prostitution by promising high earnings,” explained the officer.

She subsequently came into contact with several brokers, including Rahul from Chennai and Jay and JK from Hyderabad, who allegedly arranged customers and shared their contact details and locations with her. The brokers paid her once a week, police said. “On their instructions, she travelled to Nagpur, Kanpur, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Goa and Mumbai. She was earning around ₹75,000 a month through the activity,” added the officer.

In 2021, Alpha met Shyam Rao, a software employee in Hyderabad, who was initially one of her customers. Their relationship developed and she began living with him in 2022. Shyam Rao also travelled to Bangladesh to meet her and her parents. Police said his wife subsequently separated from him after learning about the relationship.

While living with Shyam Rao, Alpha allegedly continued meeting other customers during his office hours without his knowledge.

Police said she became addicted to synthetic drugs during this period, as some customers encouraged her to consume drugs before meeting them. She later came in contact with Akash from Goa, from whom she regularly procured drugs. The supplier allegedly delivered the consignments in Goa and Hyderabad through dead drops.

Investigators said Alpha subsequently began supplying drugs to some of her acquaintances and customers, using her existing contacts to expand her network. Shyam Rao also allegedly became addicted to synthetic drugs while living with her.

To conceal her identity and continue staying in India, she allegedly obtained fabricated Aadhaar and PAN cards in the name of Ziya Shyamrao. She also opened a bank account using the fictitious identity, which was allegedly used to purchase drugs from Akash and deposit money earned through her activities.

Acting on information that Alpha had returned from Goa with drugs, the EAGLE Force and Raidurgam police raided her residence and apprehended both her and Shyam Rao. One gram of synthetic drugs and two mobile phones were seized. Further investigation is underway to trace Akash and establish the extent of the drug supply network.