Drug peddler arrested in Ameerpet, 5 grams of MDMA seized

A drug peddler was arrested by the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Force, Telangana, along with the S.R. Nagar police. The officials seized 5 grams of MDMA along with a mobile phone from the accused.

The accused was identified as Asif Goulani, 31, a cafeteria manager at Priston Hospital on D K Road. He is a resident of Attapur in Hyderabad and a native of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat. The arrest was made on December 18 near the Guru Govind Singh MCH Multi Purpose Sports Complex on D.K. Road in Ameerpet, following a tip-off.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had been involved in drug peddling for several years. A native of Gujarat, he had moved with his family to Telangana during his childhood and discontinued his education due to financial difficulties, taking up work in bakeries. During this period, he developed alcohol addiction and later began consuming narcotic substances.

In March 2024, he moved to Mumbai to work at a restaurant run by a friend, where he began procuring MDMA from local suppliers in the Nala Sopara area. After returning to Hyderabad in June 2024, he planned to make quick money through drug peddling.

Police said he was arrested in October 2024 by Petbasheerabad police in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act case and was released from jail in May this year. After his release, he resumed work at the hospital cafeteria but continued his involvement in the drug trade. About two weeks ago, he procured 10 grams of MDMA from a childhood friend in Gujarat through a courier service, consumed half of it himself and attempted to sell the remaining quantity.

On December 18, while trying to sell the remaining MDMA to a customer, he was apprehended by the EAGLE Force team and S R Nagar police. Further investigation is underway to trace his suppliers and possible links to a wider network.