Properties worth ₹7.5 crore illegally acquired by drug peddlers seized by TGANB

The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB), in collaboration with local police stations, has identified and froze illegally acquired properties worth ₹7.5 crore belonging to drug peddlers and their associates in three key cases.

In the first such case, Gosukonda Anji Reddy was arrested in June 2024 by the Gummadidala police for possessing 2.6 kilogram of Alprazolam, he and was arrested again in September by the Bowenpally police for selling amphetamine. Despite facing charges, Reddy managed to secure bail within a few months in both instances. Financial investigations revealed properties worth approximately ₹1 crore amassed through illegal drug sales. These properties, including a 242-square yard open plot with a partially built villa, have been seized under Section 68(F) of the NDPS Act.

In the second case, the accused, Maduri Rama Krishna Goud, a former AR constable, was dismissed from service for drug trade in January 2024 after he was arrested selling alprazolam for the second time in December 2023. Goud, previously arrested in 2021 for selling alprazolam, was reinstated despite facing pending charges. He exploited legal loopholes to get bail and continued his drug trade. A financial investigation by Medak Town police and TGANB officials revealed illegally acquired assets worth ₹4.5 crore, including a newly-built house in Fareedpur village of Medak, several land parcels in Medak, and money in several bank accounts belonging to Goud and his associates, which have been seized.

The third such case pertained to Ahsan Mustafa Khan, an anesthesiologist at Sameer Hospital, Asif Nagar, who sold Fentanyl injections ampoules to people for personal gain. He was arrested in January, and secured anticipatory bail in August. An investigation uncovered approximately ₹2 crore worth of property, including a large sum deposited in his bank account. Properties belonging to Khan and other accused in this case, including plots, vehicles and cash, have been forfeited. Notably, over 120 Fentanyl injections were recovered from Khan’s residence, exceeding the commercial quantity threshold.

As per officials, in 2024 alone, the bureau successfully froze properties worth ₹55 crore across nine cases and is working to expedite property seizure proceedings in 106 pending cases.

Published - November 30, 2024 12:43 am IST