Crackdown on drug network near IIM Ahmedabad reveals student supply chain

IIM Ahmedabad: The issue of synthetic drug abuse has resurfaced in the city’s top academic institutions, with the recent detentions of two main suppliers, Badshah Khan and Faisal Khan, in the Dariapur area.

Key Arrests Made Based on Courier Interrogations

The State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has intensified its operation against drug peddling near educational institutions, following the arrests of two suspects, Badshah and Faisal, based on leads obtained from earlier detentions of peddlers Matin Shaikh alias Khalu and Shahnawaz Pathan alias Anda near IIM Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Links to Synthetic Drug Supply from Mumbai

According to senior SMC officials, interrogation of Matin and Anda revealed a disturbing chain of drug distribution involving courier-style operations. Badshah and Faisal, apprehended from their hideout, confessed that the duo was instructed to deliver 55 grams of Mephedrone, valued at Rs 5.5 lakh, to an unidentified third party believed to be closely linked to student consumers.

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Preliminary investigations suggest that synthetic drugs were being sourced from Mumbai and supplied to students at top educational institutions in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Authorities believe that the third recipient is a critical node in this three-tiered supply chain.

Three-Tier Network Targets Student Demographic

The operation works in silos to protect anonymity: couriers like Matin and Anda are reportedly unaware of the identities of their suppliers and the final distributor. This layered structure has made it challenging for law enforcement to trace the entire network, but recent breakthroughs are helping dismantle these barriers.

Five-Day Police Custody Granted

Badshah and Faisal were produced before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Court at GheeKanta, where the judge granted five-day police custody for detailed interrogation. Investigators are hopeful that this custodial period will uncover additional links in the chain.

Wider Crackdown Imminent

In light of the revelations, the SMC has launched a broader crackdown on drug peddlers operating around campuses. Sources indicate that further arrests are imminent, and authorities may soon expose specific names and institutions involved in this illicit network.