Hyderabad EAGLE Exposes Sophisticated Drug Trafficking Network Across Telangana
HYDERABAD: The Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) has uncovered a highly sophisticated drug trafficking network operating across Telangana. The network relies on concealment techniques, constant mobility and digital anonymity to evade detection.
An internal EAGLE report for 2025 outlines a narcotics ecosystem driven by deception and ever-changing routes. Traffickers actively use everyday objects, public transport systems, informal financial channels and cross-border links to move drugs within and beyond the state.
Concealment Tactics Grow More Innovative
The report shows how traffickers cleverly hide contraband inside modified daily-use items. For instance, smugglers transported MDMA inside Oxford dictionaries by replacing pages with secret chambers. Similarly, they concealed ganja in hidden cabins within mobile temple trolleys, using religious imagery as a cover.
Moreover, traffickers stash drugs in vehicle stepneys, CNG cylinders and dome light compartments. In addition, authorities found ganja consignments hidden beneath jackfruit loads in transport trucks.
Public Transport and Emergency Services Misused
EAGLE officials also flagged the misuse of essential services. Notably, traffickers used ambulances to move drugs, as these vehicles face fewer checks.
Meanwhile, railways emerged as a major transit route. In 2025 alone, officials detected 55 cases and seized 885 kg of ganja. Besides this, traffickers used RTC and private buses, often hiding drugs under passenger seats.
Hawala Network Fuels Money Laundering
Alongside drug movement, EAGLE uncovered a parallel financial system that launders illegal proceeds. Traffickers route money through mule bank accounts and hawala channels.
Investigators found that Nigerian cartels allegedly collected funds through accounts linked to former students. Subsequently, operators transferred the money via hawala networks to cities like Mumbai and Tiruppur.
They then used these funds to purchase clothing, which they shipped to Nigeria and sold. Eventually, they deposited the proceeds into cartel accounts as legitimate business income.
In one Goa operation, officials tracked 150 bank transactions linked to this network, amounting to ₹65 lakh.
Illegal Labs Sustain Drug Supply Chain
The report further highlights the role of clandestine manufacturing units. Authorities shut down six illegal labs in 2025.
For example, a unit named PNM Life Sciences in Sangareddy allegedly produced 225.16 kg of ephedrine illegally. Likewise, another facility known as Temple Lab in Hyderabad manufactured psychotropic substances, including alprazolam.
Additionally, investigators identified labs in Ahilyanagar, Satara and Bhiwandi in Maharashtra as key suppliers of alprazolam and nordiazepam to Telangana.
Network Adapts Faster Than Enforcement
Overall, the findings reveal a drug network that constantly adapts to enforcement strategies. As a result, authorities face growing challenges in tracking and dismantling these operations.
