Hyderabad, March 4 – The Hyderabad city police, in a joint operation with the Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (H-NEW), arrested a foreign drug peddler and his associate and seized MDMA from them.
Acting on credible information, the police and H-NEW conducted the joint operation and arrested Al-Aqar Abdurabu Mohammed Abdurabu, a Yemeni national, and his assistant, Hasan W. A. Hashem, a Palestinian, within the limits of the Rajendra Nagar Police Station.
The police seized 150 grams of MDMA, a knife, and four mobile phones, all worth Rs 25 lakh, from their possession.
A case under the NDPS Act, 1985, and section 14 of the Foreigners Act was registered against them.
The 37-year-old Abdurabu was residing in the Tolichowki area in Hyderabad and had previously been involved in six cases registered under the NDPS Act at various police stations in the city.
He was arrested in six cases registered between 2019 and 2022, and was absconding in two cases registered in 2023 and 2026.
His associate, Hasan Hashem, 28, is a content creator for the ludo game and was residing in Bengaluru.
He was previously involved in a case registered under the NDPS Act and the Foreigners Act in 2022 at Yelahanka New Town, Bengaluru.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rajendra Nagar Zone, S. Srinivas, told media persons that Abdurabu, who was a drug consumer, turned into a peddler. He procured narcotic drugs such as MDMA and cocaine from a Nigerian supplier who was absconding, at cheaper rates by placing orders through WhatsApp and transferring the payment online to the supplier.
Hasan assisted Abdurabu in collecting drugs from the supplier and selling them to consumers at higher prices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. At times, they adopted the "dead-drop" method for distribution, while at other times, they carried out direct deliveries to known consumers to earn easy money and maintain a lavish lifestyle. On some occasions, he also sent drugs to Hyderabad-based peddlers through private travel buses.
The police investigation revealed that the Yemeni national came to India in 2008 on a tourist visa and stayed in Pune for two months. He again entered India in 2009 on a student visa, enrolled for BCA at Bharath College, Pune, but discontinued his studies. In 2011, he shifted to Hyderabad and took admission at Sikkim Manipal University, which he also discontinued.
Abdurabu returned to Yemen in 2012 and re-entered India in August 2015 on a student visa, landing at RGI Airport, Hyderabad. His student visa expired on September 4, 2015, and was later extended up to December 31, 2016, from Yemen. His passport expired on April 16, 2020. He later enrolled for B.Tech (Computer Science) at JNTU, Hyderabad, but discontinued in the second year and subsequently underwent training in various technology applications at an institute in the city.
He came in contact with a Delhi-based drug supplier, Chidi, through Palestinian national Saeed Ali Mohammad Al Kafri, who was arrested by H-NEW in 2024. He sheltered Chidi in his room in Hyderabad for about eight months until Chidi was arrested by Hyderabad police.
Due to regular drug consumption and to earn easy money with the intention of enjoying a lavish life, he turned into a peddler. He was arrested multiple times in NDPS cases by Ameerpet Excise Station, and M.G. Road Police, Bengaluru, and was sent to judicial custody on different occasions. During one such period, he came in contact with Hasan, and both were involved in drug trafficking activities to earn easy money and lead a lavish lifestyle.