In the latest drug racket busted in Hyderabad, the story runs similar to that of a sleeper cell operation. Now, three days in police custody, Nigerian drug peddler Chukwu Ogbanna David alias Tony unveiled that it was ‘Star Boy,’ another peddler from Nigeria, who persuaded him to give up his garments business and start the drug mafia.

Thirty-seven-year-old Tony, who is proficient in English and Hindi, has been wanted by the Mumbai police for a long time. However, it is Hyderabad police who finally nabbed him. He is being questioned by task force DCP Radhakishan, West Zone DCP Joel Davis, and Intelligence Wing CP Chaitanya Kumar.

Incidentally, Tony received parcels from Nigeria sent by Star Boy and used a common Paytm channel for payments but never from the same account. The Paytm account would change every single time he received payment. The Paytm account would change every time he received payment.

Tony used Imran and Noor as courier boys to deliver drugs to the customers. The customers were in direct contact with Tony, whereas the couriers would deliver the order. And just like in covert operations, they did not know the customers. They would deliver based on the vehicle number, the color of the shirt or pillar number, etc.

However, at times, the customers picked up drug caskets from Tony in Mumbai. The entire operation was run on the lines of sleeper cell methods used by terrorists where no one recognized the other. After being captured, Noor could not identify Tony, while Imran met Tony a few times. The police are yet to figure out if Noor and Imran had local couriers to deliver drugs.

The mobile phones of Tony and Venkat Chalasani are being examined in a forensic lab in Mumbai, and another offender Gajendra Pharek was on the run and has been arrested by Mumbai police. He will soon be handed over to the Hyderabad police.