A few cab drivers in the city are found to be venturing into peddling drugs to earn some quick money.
Sources in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) claimed that these cab drivers are the third hand in the extensive drug chain operating in Guwahati.
“There are three hands involved in the drug network in the city – smugglers, hoarders and peddlers. The smugglers smuggle the narcotics in, the hoarders store and distribute among the peddlers and the peddlers, the third hand, sell or retail. The cab drivers, who have access to the users, are in the third hand of the network,” the NCB source said.
There are about 4-5 such drug networks operating in the city, the source said.
According to sources, about 30-40 such cab drivers are suspected to be engaged in peddling party drugs.
“Besides other customers, the drivers drop off and pick up people who go to the parties. They also cater to the tourists who are here to have a good time. So, it is convenient for them to connect with the users,” the source said.
The party or club drugs are specially produced from chemicals by synthesising them in laboratories to induce psychedelic or psychoactive effects and are mostly used in clubs and discotheques. They mostly deal in Nitrosun-10 mg (N-10), Buprenorphine, WI, Yaba and Heroin processed with acetic anhydride among other party drugs.
While N-10, a hallucinogen for sleep disorder and Buprenorphine which is a form of opioid also known as Subutex enters the city from Jammu & Kashmir, WI, Yaba, and acetic anhydride Heroin makes its way into the city from Myanmar through Manipur and Mizoram.
The methamphetamine makes its way from Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand to Myanmar where these are processed into methamphetamine and smuggled back to India.
Opioid, on the other hand, is a low potent opium-based drug mostly used in opium substitution therapy for intravenous drug users, but otherwise, an intoxicant.
On the latest trend of the cab drivers-turned-peddlers, the source said, “Besides selling, they (cab drivers) are also transporting the narcotics from one dealer to another. We haven’t caught anybody red-handed as of now. But, these drivers are under our radar and the raids will start soon.”
