Drug bust at Vizag Port sparks political firestorm in Andhra

Visakhapatnam: The sensational confiscation of 25,000 kg of a container with suspected substances of narcotics at Visakhapatnam Port’s Visakha Container Terminal shipped from Brazil for delivery to a shrimp feed manufacturing company through its office here to its plant at Kathipudi in West Godavari district has stirred a hornet’s nest across Andhra Pradesh.

Even as the political temperatures have started warming up with the political parties slowly finalising the candidates, the sudden announcement of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as part of Operation Garuda on Thursday, on the crackdown has raised many an eyebrow.

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

In its fight against organised drug cartels on an international level as part of Operation Garuda, CBI acting on an input received through Interpol and with the assistance of 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 aforesaid container contains 1,000 bags of inactive dried yeast of 25 kg each totalling 25,000 kg.

The CBI said, “However, on preliminary examination, through narcotics substances detection mechanisms, it appears that the material shipped contains narcotics drugs 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.”

Both TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and his alliance partner film star Pawan Kalyan, founder of Jana Sena Party, accused the involvement of YSRCP in the alleged racket. On other hand, the print and electronic media close to YSRCP alleged that involvement of one of the close relatives of 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 on Friday, who said the promoter of Sandhya Aqua had long ago 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 to say: “Shocking! CBI seized a staggering 25000 kilos of drugs at Vizag Port. The non-cooperation of AP Police and port employees suggest complicity and point towards the potential involvement of the ruling party. The timing of such a huge consignment of drugs finding its way into AP is questionable. What would the ruling have done with the drugs in the upcoming elections? 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 charge by the Opposition on potential involvement of the ruling party, YSRCP general secretary and Advisor (Policy Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said irresponsible statements should not be made to gain political mileage and threatened to file defamation suit against those making unfounded allegations with an ulterior motive.

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