andhra-drugs-case-triggers-political-storm-after-25-000-kg-of-drugs-confiscated

The sensational confiscation of 25,000 kg of suspected narcotics at Visakhapatnam Port’s Visakha Container Terminal has stirred a hornet’s nest in Andhra Pradesh.

 

Curiously, the consignment, shipped from Brazil, was meant for delivery to a shrimp feed manufacturing company’s plant at Kathipudi in West Godavari district. The massive seizure by the CBI, as part of “Operation Garuda”, has raised questions over the political affiliation of the company.

 

“As part of Operation Garuda, CBI detained a shipping container suspected to have mixed around 25,000 kg inactive dried yeast. The entire consignment seized and case registered,” the CBI said on X, formerly Twitter.

 

In its fight against organised drug cartels on an international level as part of Operation Garuda, the CBI, acting on an input received through Interpol and with the assistance of the Customs Department, Visakhapatnam, detained a shipping container at Visakhapatnam Port. The CBI said the container was booked from Santos Port, Brazil for delivery at the Visakhapatnam-based private company. The shipper had declared that the container had 1,000 bags of inactive dried yeast of 25 kg each totalling 25,000 kg.

 

“However, on preliminary examination, through narcotics substance detection mechanisms, it appears that the material shipped contains narcotics mixed with the inactive dried yeast. The whole consignment was seized and an FIR has been registered against the consignee and unknown others,” it said.

 

“The operation indicates involvement of an international criminal network engaged in importing narcotics drugs by way of mixing it with other substances commonly known as cutting agents,” the investigating agency said.

AS PART OF OPERATION GARUDA CBI DETAINS A SHIPPING CONTAINER SUSPECTED TO HAVE NARCOTICS DRUGS MIXED WITH AROUND 25000 KG INACTIVE DRIED YEAST; ENTIRE CONSIGNMENT SEIZED AND CASE REGISTERED pic.twitter.com/VLyV6bGopC

— Central Bureau of Investigation (India) (@CBIHeadquarters) March 21, 2024

 

The opposition Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and his alliance partner and president of Jana Sena Party Pawan Kalyan alleged involvement of the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in the alleged drugs racket.

 

On the other hand, the print and electronic media close to the ruling party alleged that the role of one of the close relatives of the BJP State president D Purandeswari in Sandhya Aqua, which had sourced the consignment from Brazil for preparation of shrimp feed at its plant in West Godavari.

 

The allegation was outrightly rejected by BJP spokesperson Yamini Sadineni, who said the promoter of Sandhya Aqua had in the past worked in one of the companies owned by the relatives of Purandeswari.

 

Hitting out at the State authorities for their non-cooperation, Chandrababu Naidu took to X and said: “Shocking that the CBI seized a staggering 25000 kilos of drugs at Vizag Port.

 

The non-cooperation of AP Police and port employees suggests complicity and points towards the potential involvement of the ruling party. The timing of such a huge consignment of drugs finding its way into AP is questionable.

 

This confirms my fear that Andhra Pradesh has turned into the drug capital of India over the last five years and the future of our youth is at serious risk. It is time that the people responsible for this menace are caught and punished.”

 

Denying the opposition charges, the YSRCP general secretary and Advisor (Policy Affairs) S Ramakrishna Reddy said irresponsible statements should not be made to gain political mileage and threatened to file a defamation suit against those making unfounded allegations with an ulterior motive.

 

The Commissioner of Police Ravi Shankar told the media that the port area was not under their jurisdiction and at the request of Customs, they had deployed their dog squad. He denied any delay or non-cooperation on the part of the police.