MediCiti medicos test positive for marijuana; two peddlers arrested by Telangana’s EAGLE

Nine students from MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences in Ghanpur, Medchal, tested positive for marijuana consumption following a probe by the Hyderabad unit of EAGLE (Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement) team.

All nine are hostelers and were identified through UPI transaction trails that led investigators to 100 suspected customers, including 32 medical students. Drug testing was conducted on 24 of them, confirming usage in nine cases, including two female students, said the director of EAGLE, Sandeep Shandilya.

“The students were counselled in the presence of their parents and the college principal. They have since been admitted to a de-addiction and rehabilitation centre. Officials said the next 30 days will be crucial for their recovery and reintegration. Surprise inspections and testing will continue across institutions in the State,” said the officer.

The revelations emerged after the arrest of Arfath Ahmed Khan, 23, who was caught with 2 kilograms of marijuana on August 1. A habitual user who turned to peddling to support his addiction, Arfath sourced marijuana from Zareena Banu, an inter-state supplier based in Bidar, Karnataka. He had been transferring money to her via UPI platforms between August 2024 and August 2025. He was remanded to judicial custody on August 2.

Arfath also has a criminal record. Following his arrest, police traced the supply chain to Zareena Banu, 46, who was nabbed on August 5 with 4 kilograms of marijuana worth around ₹1 lakh.

Active in the trade since 2010, Zareena sources marijuana from Parli in Maharashtra and local dealers in Bidar, distributing it across Hyderabad through UPI merchants and also accepting cash.

“A financial probe revealed ₹26 lakh in transfers linked to 51 identified peddlers in Hyderabad. An additional ₹1.24 crore in suspicious transactions is being examined. Arfath alone had transferred ₹6 lakh to Zareena’s accounts,” added the officer.

EAGLE believes that her network may be tied to nearly 100 active peddlers in the city. Overall, bank records point to ₹1.5 crore in suspicious drug-linked transactions, which are now under scrutiny.

Authorities have now ordered periodic drug testing in educational institutions across Telangana. College management have been asked to stay alert and report any drug-related activity without delay.