Wanted drug kingpin Neethu Bai arrested in Hyderabad after year-long search
The Telangana Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement arrested the 48-year-old woman in Asif Nagar on Thursday.
The Telangana Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) arrested Kalapathi Neethu Bai, 48, in Asif Nagar on Thursday. According to The Hindu, the woman had been absconding for more than a year. EAGLE personnel traced her to a hideout following a tip-off.
Neethu Bai, referred to as 'ganja queen', is allegedly linked to a network involved in trafficking marijuana across Hyderabad and Cyberabad. She and her family members reportedly operated a distribution network by procuring marijuana in bulk and selling it in small sachets. No narcotics were found in her possession during the arrest, but officials seized ₹1 lakh in cash.
Police records show Neethu Bai has 31 cases against her dating back to 2018, involving the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Telangana Excise Act. In August 2023, she was arrested in a commercial-quantity marijuana case. During that investigation, authorities attached assets including ₹40.30 lakh in cash, 16 bank accounts with ₹1.53 crore in deposits, and immovable properties worth approximately ₹2 crore.
In March 2024, a raid at her residence in Nanakramguda resulted in the seizure of 22.6 kg of marijuana and ₹22.10 lakh in cash. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted searches at three Hyderabad locations in September as part of a money-laundering investigation into suspected narcotics proceeds.
An EAGLE officer stated that 63 consumers previously identified through her network had been sent for de-addiction. EAGLE is expected to question Neethu Bai regarding the supply chain, linked consumers, and proceeds from the trafficking operations.