Hyderabad co-living hostels emerge as drug distribution hubs
HYDERABAD: An Odisha woman who separated from her husband and moved to Hyderabad with her three-year-old son has been living in a private hostel in Madhapur while working in the information technology sector. She was found to be in a live-in relationship with a man from West Godavari district, police said.
Live-in arrangement used as cover for drug trade
The duo allegedly purchased ganja and ocean ganja at low prices and sold them at higher rates to make quick money. During inspections at the hostel, police found that the woman was the only female resident among 20 young men. Investigators estimate that ganja worth ₹20 lakh was sold by the pair over the past year.
Police said the racket did not discriminate between educated professionals, employees of leading companies, and students. Under the guise of live-in relationships, several youths were drawn into illegal activities, supplying drugs to earn easy money.
Co-living hostels under police scanner
With rising rents, room-sharing has become common. Until recently, hostels were largely segregated by gender, but co-living hostels have mushroomed across the city and its outskirts. Police said some residents of these facilities were getting addicted to narcotics and, through links with peddlers, turning into suppliers themselves.
In the last 20 days alone, city police registered cases against 30 youths. Of them, 10 were identified as peddlers supplying ganja to around 450 consumers.
Detection remains a challenge
Hundreds of private hostels and guest houses have come up in areas such as Chandanagar, Gachibowli, Miyapur, Kukatpally, Madhapur, SR Nagar and Manikonda. A senior police officer said young people from different parts of the country were forging close networks in these spaces and drifting towards drug syndicates.
Investigations revealed that couples living in co-living hostels were receiving ganja and ocean ganja through courier services from Kasol in Himachal Pradesh. Police suspect a single dealer in Kasol was supplying drugs to about 50 individuals in Gachibowli, Madhapur and Manikonda.
To evade detection, consignments were addressed to watchmen and cooks working in apartments, guest houses and hostels. The intermediaries were paid commissions ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,000 for receiving the parcels. Searches in women’s hostels posed additional challenges, the officer added.
