Hyderabad: In a dramatic crackdown that has rattled Hyderabad’s glittering social scene, the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) has dismantled an international drug syndicate that ingeniously trafficked cocaine hidden inside women’s sandals — and whose tentacles reached upscale pubs, techies, doctors, and entrepreneurs. 

The operation led to the arrest of 34-year-old Surya Annamaneni, an engineering graduate and MBA holder turned restaurant owner, whose double life as a narcotics distributor shocked investigators. Five others, including a prominent hotel entrepreneur, were also held; altogether, 25 suspects have been identified.

Acting on precise intelligence, EAGLE intercepted Annamaneni near his Kompally restaurant, ‘Malnadu Kitchen’. A search of his Tata Scorpio revealed a pink cardboard box containing cocaine stuffed into the heel of sandals, shipped from Delhi under the alias ‘Fatima’. Also seized: 3.2 grams of OG Kush (Ganja) and 1.6 grams of Ecstasy pills.

Behind this creative concealment lay a sprawling network: Nigerian traffickers operating from Delhi, Bangalore, and Goa — identified as Nick, Jerry, Dezmond, Stanley, and Prince — as well as local suppliers in Himayatnagar, Karimnagar, and Khajaguda.

Annamaneni’s journey from casual drug use to high-volume distribution reportedly began in Bengaluru, where he worked as a sales manager, before moving to Hyderabad’s hospitality industry in 2020. In his confession, he detailed how large payments — including Rs 1.39 lakh from “Ternion Hospitality”, linked to his restaurant, and Rs 41,000 via ATM — were sent to Nigerian contacts’ bank accounts, in return for consignments of cocaine and MDMA cleverly disguised within mundane household items.

Investigators uncovered links to some of Hyderabad’s trendiest pubs — Prism Pub, Farm Pub, Block 22, Bird Box, Xora, Broadway, and Quake Arena — where Annamaneni admitted consuming drugs in “concealed or restricted areas”, raising suspicions about systemic complicity. His drug circuit reached an eclectic clientele: techies, doctors, real estate professionals, gym partners, and even pub directors.

Chennuri Roopesh, SP heading EAGLE, confirmed the investigation also spans digital transactions and courier routes. “This case shows the alarming sophistication of urban drug networks, involving educated individuals and high-tech methods,” he told the media.

Annamaneni has been remanded to judicial custody under the strict provisions of the NDPS Act, with authorities meticulously documenting every seizure. The hunt continues: EAGLE is now tracing financial trails, digital evidence, and probing the roles of pubs and courier firms in what may be Hyderabad’s most sensational drug bust in years — a chilling portrait of how style, privilege, and crime can intertwine in India’s booming cities.