Hyderabad auto driver turned drug transporter for 14 years after chance ride, EAGLE probe reveals

A chance encounter with two passengers who boarded his autorickshaw in 2012 allegedly drew a Hyderabad auto driver into an interstate drug syndicate, turning him into a transporter of narcotics for 14 years. The Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Force, which recently unravelled the drug manufacturing network and clandestine labs of key accused Chetan Madhukar and his associates from Maharashtra, Assam and Telangana, found that the gang was allegedly involved in manufacturing ephedrine, alprazolam and mephedrone.

The accused reportedly purchased a goods vehicle and two motorcycles in the auto driver’s name, all bearing Telangana registration numbers, and allegedly recruited him as a transporter for a monthly payment of ₹15,000, officials said.

How the recruitment happened

Dayanand Manik Mudannar and Sunil Singh Sardar, both natives of Maharashtra, befriended the auto driver — identified as P Kishtaiah — after boarding his auto in 2012. Claiming they were unfamiliar with the city, they sought his help with local transport whenever they visited Hyderabad, sources in the EAGLE Force told TOI.

About three months later, Dayanand bought a motorcycle in Kishtaiah’s name, promising to give it to him permanently, but took it to Maharashtra instead. He later made a similar promise about a goods vehicle, which was purchased in Kishtaiah’s name in 2013 using his identity documents. Dayanand subsequently introduced Kishtaiah to Fayaz Ahmed Rasool Sheikh, who allegedly played a key role in arranging personnel and logistics for the gang’s drug manufacturing units.

Clandestine labs across two states

The EAGLE investigation identified multiple clandestine manufacturing units in Hayathnagar, Choutuppal, Kushaiguda and Jeedimetla in Telangana. Another unit was found in Malegaon, Maharashtra. Precursors were prepared at Choutuppal, while ephedrine was manufactured at Bacharam with the assistance of two chemists from Vijayawada and Maharashtra, officials said.

On the instructions of Fayaz and other gang members, Kishtaiah allegedly transported the precursors and finished drugs. The final product was moved from Abdullapurmet to Mumbai and other parts of the country in an SUV before being sold illegally to drug peddlers.

Previous arrest and continued operations

Officials found that Fayaz, Dayanand, Kishtaiah and the two chemists had been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2014 for allegedly manufacturing ephedrine. After spending more than six months in judicial remand, they secured bail and resumed operations. Fayaz was subsequently arrested by Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh police in other cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He remains in jail, while the trial in the case registered by the NCB is underway.

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Impact for Hyderabad residents

The case highlights the vulnerability of low-income transport workers to exploitation by organised crime syndicates operating across state borders. With multiple clandestine labs located in and around Hyderabad — including Hayathnagar, Choutuppal and Jeedimetla — the investigation underscores the scale of drug manufacturing in the region. The EAGLE Force’s ability to reconstruct a 14-year-long operation from a chance auto ride demonstrates the importance of financial and vehicle registration records in tracking syndicate networks.

For residents, the case serves as a reminder that drug manufacturing operations can be hidden in industrial and peri-urban areas. Authorities have urged citizens to report suspicious chemical odours, unusual vehicle movements or unexplained industrial activity in residential zones to the EAGLE Force or local police.

Source: Times of India – Hyderabad — https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/a-chance-ride-turns-autowala-into-interstate-drug-cartels-transporter-for-14-years/articleshow/135217587.cms