IAF Wing Commander Rajashekar Reddy Ashamed of Bringing Bad Name to Family, Indian Air Force

Hyderabad: Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Rajashekhara Reddy feels guilty over his illegal drugs manufacturing and trading. Reddy has been arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for allegedly producing amphetamine, which is used to make narcotics. During the interrogation, Reddy confessed that he feels guilty as he brought bad name to his family and Indian Air Force.

Reddy was on Wednesday produced in Ranga Reddy Court and has been remanded for 14 days. He was shifted to Charlapalli jail.

During the interrogation, Reddy further said that he used to produce amphetamine in a sick pharmaceutical unit located in IDA Bolaram, and send it to his childhood friend Venkata Rama Rao, who's a scientist in Bengaluru. Rao used to further refine amphetamine before exporting it.

NCB officials on Saturday seized 231 kilograms of amphetamine valuing Rs230crore and arrested Ravi Shanka Rao and Rama Murthy, who during the police interrogation revealed VenkataRama Rao name, who's a scientist in Bengaluru. Rao had further mentioned name of Rajashekhara Reddy.

Reddy further narrated how he got into illegal narcotics business. Reddy was residing at Jeedimetla and came into contact with Srinu, who was arrested in connection with illegal drugs trading in 2013. “He helped Srinu by providing legal assistance. Vishnu used to bring food for Srinu. Vishnu was also earlier arrested in illegal narcotics trading. Through Vishnu, I was introduced to Syed Vazirul Pasha, Narendra in Hyderabad and Nafeel in Mumbai. All these people were involved in illegal narcotics business. When I was transferred to Bengaluru, I came to know that my friends Venkata Reddy and D Srinivasa Reddy were also in this illegal business. My childhood friend Venkata Ram Rao is also working in Bengaluru. He came to me with a proposal of doing business. Then I conceptualized the narcotics business with assistance of Rao. Venkata Reddy and Srinivas Reddy gave me Rs1.5 crore and this was invested to set up a lab in Bengaluru. Rao used to handle the lab as he takes care of processing the amphetamine to refine it further. Ramuthy used to bring amphetamine from Hyderabad to Bengaluru.”

Rajashekhara Reddy further elaborated the activity two days before his arrest. He said that on September 30, he received a call from Venkata Reddy asking for 250kg of amphetamine. Reddy asked Rama Murthy to arrange for it and take Rs20lakh from his wife. He further told Rama Rao to take the delivery in Bengaluru on October 1. Subsequently, Reddy suspected something as his calls were not answered by Rama Rao and Ramamurthy. Immediately, he called wife of Rama Rao and asked her to dispose the stocks of drugs flushing out in lavatory. On October 2, he left Delhi by car to Vijayawada

After reaching Adilabad, one friend suggested Reddy to go to Goa. Reddy handed his car to person arranged by his friend and went to Nanded by taxi. He was waiting for a bus to Kolhapur and Naded police caught Reddy at the bus station.

“I used to run the narcotics business using eight SIM cards. I really feel ashamed of my illegal drugs business as it brought bad name to my family and Indian Air Force,” confesses Reddy.

Narcotics Control Bureau to Widen Probe

The NCB has turned keen on the role of small pharmaceutical units illegally used to make the drugs after the latest arrests for allegedly producing amphetamine, which is used to make narcotics. NCB is widening its probe after the latest arrests to trace out who all involved in illegal narcotics trading racket.

The NCB had on Monday seized 231 kg of the banned narcotic drug amphetamine and has estimated the value of the drugs as being worth about Rs 230 crore in the international market (Rs 45 crore in domestic). It had been seized from Hyderabad and Bengaluru and three persons including a research scientist Venkat Rama Rao and his wife were arrested.

Investigators probing the Rs 230 crore worth international drug racket in which a Wing Commander of the IAF was arrested on Wednesday hinted at the role of few more individuals who may be soon questioned and they could include few defence officials.

Officials said Wing Commander G Rajasekhar Reddy was arrested by the NCB in coordination with Nanded Police in Maharashtra on Monday and brought to Hyderabad, based on investigations after an international drug racket was unearthed in that city two days back.

They said Reddy, posted at the Information Technology wing at the Air Headquarters in Delhi, was the alleged kingpin of the racket and his purported involvement surfaced after the questioning of the other arrested accused in Hyderabad.

Reddy has been booked under Sections- 22(C) (Possession of manufactured drugs in commercial quantity), 27-A(Financing of drugs offences), 28(Attempt to trafficking) and 29 (conspiracy) of the Narcotic Drugs and P Physchotropic Substances Act and remanded to judicial custody, the NCB said.

The agency said Rs 7.5 lakh in cash, five mobiles, multiple SIM cards and a laptop were recovered from him during the arrest when he was boarding a bus to Goa from Nanded.

The NCB further said its investigations, under its zonal office in Chennai, has found him to be in contact with many known drug traffickers of Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai.

Reddy appears to be involved in financing the whole activity and using the expertise of his friend and one of the accused Venkat Rama Rao who is working as a research scholar in Bengaluru for getting the drugs synthesised, it said.

The NCB said the racket was under its surveillance for long and multiple foreign links are suspected as the contraband could have been transported to offshore locations in coordination with foreigners.

The IAF has been officially informed about the arrest of Wing Commander Reddy, it said.

NCB first seized 221 kg of amphetamine from two persons at Miyapur area in Hyderabad on September 30.

Venkat Rama Rao, a research scientist in a reputed private chemical firm of Bengaluru, had come to Hyderabad to collect the contraband from Ravi Shankar Rao, NCB had said.

After Venkat and Ravi Shankar were arrested, 30 grams of amphetamine and Rs 1.23 crore in cash were seized from a house rented by Venkat near Electronic City in Bengaluru, and his wife was also arrested.

Further, 10 kg of amphetamine was seized from a manufacturing lab in Bolarum area in Hyderabad on October 1. The seized amphetamine was estimated to be worth about Rs 45 crore.

Reddy is suspected to have been involved in drug syndicate for around four years, Nanded police said, adding Reddy and Rao are school mates.

Source: PTI