Hyderabad: The efforts of the Prohibition and Excise Department, Telangana to put an end to ganja trade at Dhoolpet and Nanakramguda are yielding results but gradually.
Around three hundred individuals were arrested, 71 cases booked, and more than 300 kilograms of ganja were seized in 2024 in Dhoolpet.
To weed out the local supply market in the city, the Prohibition and Excise Department started ‘Operation Dhoolpet’ in mid-2024.
As part of the strategy to control the sale of ganja at Dhoolpet and Nanakramguda, the department launched the operation to cut the supply to local peddlers and hotspots.
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The operation has already led to the seizure of 321 kilograms of dry ganja and 4 kilograms of hashish oil, along with the confiscation of 44 two-wheelers and 2 four-wheelers. In addition, authorities have destroyed 561 kilograms of dry ganja, and 3 kilograms of opium.
The operation is focused on eradicating the trafficking of ganja in key hotspots such as Dhoolpet, Nanakramguda, and Kukatpally.
Dhoolpet infamous for gudumba
Dhoolpet was infamous for its illicitly distilled liquor unit – gudumba – as known locally. After the massive crackdown, the ID liquor units were shut down and the families turned to the ganja trade.
In 2023, the state government took serious note of the drug problem and concentrated on Dhoolpet, and Nanakramguda was considered the hotbed for the supply of ganja locally.
The police conducted its operations and the Prohibition and Excise followed it up. More than 1000 arrests have been made in the past two years and the cat-and-mouse game between local communities and the law enforcement agencies continues.
Cordon and search, nakabandi, surprise raids based on specific inputs and court trial monitoring helped in control the illicit trade to a certain extent, the police say.
Non-Governmental and Social Organizations don’t foresee an immediate end to the problem.
“People are not willing to leave the trade due to high stakes, alternative jobs provided by the government bring little money and it is not of much help to the families. A big financial assistance package might help to some extent,” they suggest.
