Coimbatore Police are poised to summon nearly 50 high-profile individuals—including doctors, engineers, and businessmen—for questioning after a major drug dealer, A. Ritesh Lamba, spilled details linking him to the city’s elite.

The 41-year-old, arrested on March 27, is considered the ringleader of a syndicate busted this week, triggering a sweeping crackdown on drug networks targeting IT hubs and nightlife scenes.

The breakthrough came Friday when police nabbed seven suspects: K. Manikandan (39), a call taxi owner; S. Vinayagam (34), a driver; V. Krishnakanth (34), an IT worker; M. Mahavishnu (28), son of Sub-Inspector Vijayalakshmi from the Economic Offences Wing; D. Adarsh (24), a textile trader; A. Ritesh Lamba (41), a food businessman; and B. Rohan Shetty (30), another textile merchant.

Interrogation of Lamba, coupled with data from his phone, revealed contacts and messages tying him to around 50 prominent Coimbatore figures, police sources said. “Everyone linked to him will be questioned soon,” an official confirmed.

The haul was staggering: 24.40 grams of MDMA (ecstasy), 12.47 grams of MDMA powder, 92.43 grams of cocaine, 1.62 kg of green ganja, 1.01 kg of dry ganja, 1.68 kg of Kush, Rs 25 lakh in cash, three cars, 12 phones, a cash-counting machine, four digital scales, and 122 premium liquor bottles.

Investigations show MDMA and cocaine came from Maharashtra, while ganja and Kush were sourced from Himachal Pradesh. The group, active for over a year, funded lavish lifestyles—properties in Teachers Colony and a house under construction in Kovaipudur are now targeted for seizure, alongside 12 frozen bank accounts.

City Police Commissioner A. Saravana Sundar said the syndicate catered to IT professionals and pub-goers, with Lamba as the linchpin. The probe, expanding to Tamil Nadu’s upper echelons, promises to unmask influential clients as authorities dig deeper into this high-stakes drug web.