Tollywood Actor, African Peddlers Arrested In Drug Racket  

Hyderabad: The city police on Monday arrested six people, including Tollywood actor Abhishek Kumar and two African drug peddlers, from Jubilee Hills for using and selling illegal drugs. Abhishek, who has acted in Danger, Aice, and Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana, had been arrested in 2012 in a similar case.

Police recovered 370 grams of cocaine and Rs50,000 from their possession. The two Africans came from Mumbai to deliver the drugs to their customers who included Abhishek Kumar. Police says the actor confessed that he and his friend G. Srinivasulu used to procure drugs from Goa and Mumbai.

"After they got bail in 2012, Abhishek and his friend continued to hunt for cocaine. In April 2016, the actor met Mandela James and Mark Owen at a party in Mumbai and have been procuring drug from him for his own use and to sell to his clients in the city at a higher price" said Task Force DCP B. Limba Reddy.

"Abhishek used to purchase 15 to 20 grams of the drug regularly for his personal use and also to share with his friends," the official said. He would buy each packet at Rs500 and sell it at Rs5,000.

The prime accused in the case, Mandela James, a South African national, is said to be the kingpin of a drug racket in Mumbai.

He came to India in 2011 on a business visa. He has been staying at Naigaon East in Mumbai and exporting garments to his country from India. "He procures drugs and sells them to customers with the help of his aide, Drake Owen, a Ghana national," Limba Reddy said.

The police had got a tip-off that these two were peddling drugs in the city. They were arrested at the Jubilee Hills check-post when they came here to exchange the drugs for cash with the actor.