HYDERABAD: In a joint operation by the Medchal SOT and Dundigal police, a 71-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh was caught smuggling 1 litre hashish oil worth Rs 5 lakh on Thursday morning.
The accused, identified as Kurru Shankar Rao, is a native of Anakapalli and is said to be a repeat offender in drug peddling cases. “In 2019, he was arrested by the NCB for peddling 744 kg of ganja,” said Dundigal Station House Officer Ch Shankaraiah.
Rao was imprisoned for 4.7 years and was only released in October 2023. However, the man has been caught smuggling hashish oil again.
In the present case, Rao had reportedly purchased the hashish oil for around Rs 80,000 to 1 lakh in AP. “He was planning to sell it in bulk to someone in KPHB. We are investigating to find out further details,” the SHO said.
At a younger age, Rao used to work as a truck driver, and used to travel across the country, the police said. The police suspect that it is through the connections he must have started smuggling drugs.
Since this is a repeat offence, the SHO said that the police would recommend a higher penalty for the accused during the trial of the case.