HYDERABAD: Months of persistence has paid off for Hyderabad-NEW sleuths who finally managed to arrest Edwin Nunes, the alleged mastermind behind a major drugs cartel.
Nunes is also the owner of the well-known Curlies restaurant in Goa and he was arrested hours after he got bail in the Sonali Phogat murder case. Nunes is suspected to be the mastermind heading a drugs cartel that has over 50,000 customers across India, of which 1,500, including some Tollywood celebrities, are from Telangana.
Telangana police had been on his trail for the last three months, ever since his alleged accomplices Pritesh and Steve named him as the kingpin behind the drugs racket. Three cases have been registered against him in Osmania University, Lalaguda and Ramgopalpet police stations.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner Chama Vrajendra Anand said: “Edwin Nunes, 45, is the owner of the Curlies restaurant in Goa which has gained an international reputation due to its psychedelic music and supply of a range of drugs. He maintains close contacts across the country and has made hundreds of crores.”
Nunes was earlier booked by the Anjuna police in Goa and Ramgopalpet police in Telangana for submitting fake Covid-19 certificates, following which he went into hiding. He is also being investigated by the CBI in the Sonali Phogat murder case.
According to sources, Nunes has around 100 agents who peddle narcotic to psychotropic drugs in music festivals and rave parties organised by him. Edwin married a woman from Mumbai and later started Curlies in Goa, eventually expanding his business and is known to own three villas and three hotels in Goa alone.
Goa police initially did not cooperate with H-NEW sleuths but finally yielded, leading to Nunes’ arrest, according to sources.
According to sources, Edwin maintains close contacts with bigwigs in the Goa administration as well as the police department of that State which allows him to operate with impunity on Goan soil.