Anationwide drug trafficking network that allegedly used coded words like ‘Mango’, ‘Stick’ and ‘Flower’ to discreetly operate a ganja delivery racket across India through Speed Post and courier services, Hyderabad Police said on Thusday.
The Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) said that it has dismantled a that allegedly used India’s postal network to deliver ganja to customers across the country.
Police arrested the alleged mastermind, Satyam Misra, a resident of Giridih district in Jharkhand, while four other accused remain absconding.
According to investigators, the gang supplied cannabis to customers in nearly 21 states, including Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Karnataka.
Police said the syndicate concealed ganja inside parcels sent through Speed Post from the Isri Bazar and Phusro Bazar post offices in Jharkhand.
To avoid suspicion, the accused allegedly declared the parcels as containing medicines while booking them.
The gang is also accused of using WhatsApp and other social media platforms to receive orders, coordinate deliveries and accept digital payments.
Large-scale operation uncovered
Investigators said the , dispatching 8 to 10 Speed Post parcels daily.
Each parcel reportedly contained between 50 grams and 250 grams of ganja, sold for between Rs 1,500 and Rs 8,000.
Police estimate the gang earned around Rs 1 lakh per day, generating a monthly income of Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh and an annual turnover of Rs 4 crore to Rs 5 crore.
Mumbai network under investigation
Apart from postal deliveries, police said the syndicate had a with around a thousand regular customers.
Bulk quantities of ganja were allegedly transported by train from Jharkhand to Mumbai, where they were stored by local associates before being repackaged into small sachets for delivery.
According to investigators, the gang used code words such as “Mango”, “Stick” and “Flower” to refer to different quantities of cannabis during online conversations.
The investigation began after H-NEW intercepted a ganja parcel sent to a customer in Hyderabad through Speed Post.
Questioning of the recipient led investigators to the wider network. Another parcel was subsequently traced, and two Hyderabad-based buyers were arrested.
Police said 2 kg of ganja was seized during the investigation.
Security loophole identified
During the probe, investigators found that the drug parcels had travelled through trains and commercial flights without being scanned.
Police described this as a serious security concern and said they would write to the relevant central authorities, urging them to introduce stricter screening and scanning procedures for postal parcels transported across the country.
Police alleged that the and UPI IDs, including an account belonging to the arrested accused’s mother.
The illegal earnings were allegedly used to purchase gold jewellery and luxury vehicles.
The investigation is continuing, and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining accused and identify other members of the trafficking network.
Hyderabad Police have also directed courier agencies across the city to ensure that all parcels are scanned before dispatch and delivery to prevent the misuse of courier services for drug trafficking.