Drug peddlers using dating app to hawk wares held with MDMA

Two drug peddlers operating a racket through Grindr dating app were nabbed along with seven consumers in a joint operation by Hyderabad police at Seethaphalmandi, Secunderabad. The Chilkalguda police, along with the East Zone Task Force, seized 100 grams of MDMA, 10 mobile phones, and a weighing machine, all valued at around ₹15 lakh.

Police said the main accused, M. Ramakanth alias Kiran, 44, an office assistant residing in Chilkalguda and a native of Kurnool, had been involved in drug peddling for the past two years. “He used Grindr to contact buyers and indicated drug availability on his profile. Ramakanth, who had previously been arrested in July 2024 under the NDPS Act and later released on bail, allegedly sourced MDMA from a Nigerian national in Bangalore and sold it in Hyderabad at inflated rates with the help of his associate, Mudavath Prasad, 30, a vacuum technician from LB Nagar,” said an officer.

Based on credible information, police raided Ramakanth’s flat at Sithaphalmandi and apprehended the duo. On their lead, seven consumers were also detained, including a doctor, an IT recruiter, and a private employee.

Investigators found that the accused not only sold MDMA but also consumed it with others during parties.