Visakhapatnam: Drug peddlers from a few parts of the opium belt of Madhya Pradesh are entering Vizag and neighboring East Godavari and Vizianagaram districts to expand their trade. Police officials say that consumption of opium is slowly increasing with the influx of students, employees and few others from North India. A senior police officer said that opium suppliers from MP, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh were visiting Vizag, Tirupati and a few other areas in the state to sell drugs to local smugglers, who peddle it to students, software professionals, visitors and a few others at high prices.

With the expansion of the education and employment opportunities in some cities, youngsters are willing to pay high prices for the narcotics. Sources said that a few African nationals, who were staying in Hyderabad and elsewhere, were peddling opium and other drugs in Vizag, Tirupati and Vijayawada. Sources said that unlike Hyderabad, Vizag does not have many good pubs and youngsters were partying in farmhouses and guest houses located on the city outskirts where they indulged in drugs.

After liquor and ganja, there is a slow rise in addition to opium among youth. Out of every 100 cases, up to four were related to multi drugs including opium, ganja and few others, said counsellor Dr Uma Raju of Green Valley Foundation in the city. “Unless nipped in the bud, drug usage will become uncontrollable and spoil the lives of youngsters. We have been collecting some clues from public, drug addicts and few others to nab inter-state opium peddlers,” said ACP, Task Force, I. Chittibabu. He said police had seized 1 kg opium recently. “We are hopeful that big sharks in the trade will land in our net,” he added.