Hyderabad, Dec 24 (IANS): The police in Hyderabad arrested three drug peddlers and seized 183 grams of cocaine and 44 ecstasy pills on Thursday.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Ravindra said acting on credible information, Special Operations Team (SOT) Madhapur arrested the accused and seized the drugs worth over Rs 26 lakh.

The police apprehended two men -- Rameshwara Sravan Kumar and Gorentla Charan Teja at Gachibowli under the limits of Raidurgam police station and recovered two grams of cocaine.

Based on the information obtained from them, the police traced the drug supplier Mohammed Ashraf Baig, residing in Tolichowki area in the city. He was taken into custody along with 181 grams of cocaine and 44 ecstasy tablets.

Police learnt that Baig was procuring huge quantity of cocaine from the main drug supplier Zude, a Nigerian, from Goa state in view of New Year celebrations. The main organiser and drug supplier Zude is absconding.

A total of 183 packets of cocaine (one gram) in each packet, ecstasy pills and three mobile phones were seized from the accused.

SOT teams of Cyberabad and NDPS Cell are on constant lookout for drug peddlers and consumers, and have developed various sources and informants to curb the menace of drugs and other psychotropic substances.

Police have stepped up the vigil on suspected drug peddlers in view of the New Year celebrations.

The police commissioner said during 2021 Cyberabad police so far registered 202 cases and arrested 419 accused. Drugs and other psychotropic substances seized include 1,770 kg ganja, 124 ganja plants, 14 ganja pills, 8.55 litres of Hashish oil (weed oil), 116 grams of MDMA and 200 grams of Opium.