Hyderabad police arrest two, seize cocaine packets after raiding pub
Hyderabad: Striking hard at the organized drug syndicates centered around the pubs, the Hyderabad police late on Saturday night raided a pub – where one could enter only after ‘keying a code’ – at Banjara Hills late and arrested two persons apart from seizing what is suspected to be cocaine packets.
More than 100 persons, reportedly including children and relatives of film personalities, politicians and businessmen, partying at the pub much beyond the stipulated business hours were detained by the police for questioning. They were later let off on Sunday morning.
The drama unfolded around 2 am, when the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force team on information raided ‘Pudding & Mink’ pub located at Radisson Blu. The police arrested two persons – manager of the pub, M. Anil Kumar and business partner, Abhishek Vuppala, while one more person, Arjun Veeramachineni is absconding.
“On thorough checking of the premises, five small packets containing white powder suspected to be cocaine were found in one of the plastic containers used for holding drink straws. It was kept on the bar counter in the custody of hotel manager Anil Kumar,” said Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, CV Anand.
Only select and elite guests had access to the pub as the management adopted latest technology and ensured foolproof security arrangements. The Police Commissioner said, “they maintain an App wherein customers have to enter details and generate a code and this code has to keyed in at the entrance of the pub to gain entry. We are enquiring, if it was security or to maintain secrecy.”
A case is registered by the police under Sections 8(c), 22(b), 29(1) of NDPS Act and investigation is taken up by the Jubilee Hills Inspector. The seized material is sent to forensic science laboratory for examination.
