HYDERABAD: A drug trafficking syndicate that allegedly used India Post’s Speed Post network and private courier services to deliver ganja to customers across 21 states has been busted by Hyderabad Police, exposing a distribution model that relied on postal parcels reaching buyers’ doorsteps.
The investigation, led by the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW), began after officers intercepted a ganja parcel booked through the Isri Bazar Post Office in Jharkhand and addressed to a customer in Hyderabad. The probe later traced another consignment dispatched through the Phusro Bazar Post Office, helping investigators uncover what police described as a nationwide narcotics network.
The syndicate is alleged to have processed 80-100 customer orders a day while dispatching 8-10 Speed Post parcels daily, each containing 50-250 grams of ganja priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 8,000. Police estimated the operation generated about Rs 1 lakh a day, with a monthly turnover of Rs 30-35 lakh and annual proceeds of Rs 4-5 crore.
One accused, Satyam Mishra, has been arrested, while his associates—Shubham Misra alias Shubham Dada, Rahul Jha, Sachin Misra and Santosh Pandit—are absconding. Separate cases have been registered under the Gudimalkapur and SR Nagar police station limits. Police also arrested two Hyderabad-based buyers, Sushanth Vyas and Laddu, and seized 2 kg of ganja from them.
According to the investigation, the syndicate dispatched ganja through Speed Post and courier services, routing parcels by train and air cargo. Consignments meant for Hyderabad were transported by air. Police said the accused exploited gaps in parcel screening during transit and declared the consignments as medicines to avoid detection.
Addressing a press conference, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said the syndicate sourced ganja from local cultivation in Jharkhand as well as external suppliers before distributing it across nearly 21 states, including Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Karnataka.
Police said Satyam Mishra left his Intermediate education because of financial difficulties, worked as a painter and later as a commercial driver, and became addicted to ganja in 2018. He and his brother, Shubham Misra, allegedly entered the drug trade and gradually built an organised network by recruiting others.
Investigators found that Satyam and Shubham handled packaging, while Rahul Jha managed parcel bookings and dispatches. Orders were received through WhatsApp and other social media platforms, with payments collected through UPI.
In Mumbai, the group allegedly maintained a network of more than 1,000 regular customers. Bulk consignments were transported by train from Jharkhand, stored at the residences of Sachin Misra and Santosh Pandit, and later repackaged for local distribution. The accused allegedly used code words such as “Mango”, “Stick” and “Flower” to refer to different quantities of the contraband.
Police said Satyam Mishra also used multiple bank accounts and UPI IDs, including one belonging to his mother, to route proceeds from the drug trade before investing the money in gold and luxury vehicles.
Following the bust, Hyderabad Police said surveillance of postal and courier channels has been stepped up, while efforts are on to trace the remaining members of the syndicate.