Dutch national arrested in Hyderabad drug case

Hyderabad, July 26 (IANS) In a key development in the Hyderabad drug racket, Telangana's Excise Authorities have arrested a Dutch national, an official said on Wednesday.

Prohibition & Excise Department's Director, Enforcement, Akun Sabharwal said that Mike Kaminga was arrested on Tuesday night and narcotic substances was recovered from the 33-year-old.

Sabharwal, who is heading the probe, described it as an important arrest and that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was recovering key information from the accused in the case.

The Dutch national would be produced in the court, he added.

Kaminga is the 20th accused to be arrested in the case, which caused quite a sensation as some Telugu film industry personalities allegedly have links with the accused.

Actress Charmme Kaur was Wednesday questioned by SIT officials for her alleged links with Calvin Mascrenhas, said to be the kingpin of the racket. She was the seventh Tollywood celebrity to be questioned in the case.

Kaminga, who was on his fourth visit to India, is being considered as a key link in the supply of drugs from European countries to the accused already arrested in the case.

The investigators have found that the peddlers sold drugs to students of several colleges and schools in Hyderabad, some Tollywood celebrities and even techies.

Puttkar Ronson Joseph alias Ronnie, manager of leading actress Kajal Aggarwal, was arrested on Monday.

The authorities have recovered 3,000 units of LSD, 105 grams of MDMA, 45 grams of cocaine and other narcotic and psychotropic substance from all the accused arrested so far.