LUCKNOW, Dec. 31 -- Heightened surveillance and sustained crackdowns by the Lucknow Police on street-level drug dealing have forced narcotics peddlers to abandon physical meetings and traditional handoffs, driving them to adopt app-based delivery services as a new, covert mode of operation, an HT investigation has found. Ordering groceries, documents or electronics through mobile apps has become routine in urban India. The same logistics ecosystem, however, is now being exploited to move illegal drugs such as hashish and marijuana, with peddlers outsourcing last-mile delivery to unsuspecting riders. In 2024, HT had exposed multiple narcotics hot spots across Lucknow, prompting intensified police action in several vulnerable areas. While some of these locations continue to exist, traffickers have largely shifted to a low-contact, home-delivery model requiring little more than a smartphone and online payment. Over the past several weeks, HT reporters interacted with suspected drug peddlers operating in Lucknow and neighbouring districts through encrypted messaging apps and calls. Conversations reviewed by HT show sellers openly offering doorstep delivery through city-based courier services, describing the method as "safe", "routine" and "low-risk" compared to physical exchanges. We have not named the delivery platforms involved, as there is no evidence of institutional complicity. In one exchange, a peddler offered to deliver hashish worth Rs.3,500 for one tola, assuring the reporter - posing as a buyer - that it would be sent "just like a normal parcel". "Rider ko kuchh nahi pata hota (the rider doesn't know anything)," the seller said, adding that the package would be disguised as groceries or personal items. Screenshots of the chats are with HT. The peddler claimed delivery within two hours after online payment, with an additional Rs.100-200 charged via the app. The HT reporter did not place the order. Another peddler insisted on a minimum order of over Rs.1,000 for doorstep delivery after online payment. "Kahan pe aapko chahiye, woh bataiye (tell me where you want it delivered)," the seller said. This transaction was also not pursued. HT spoke to several users, who requested anonymity, and found that peddlers now deliberately avoid in-person meetings to minimise the risk of arrest. Instead, they book riders through delivery apps and share live tracking links with buyers. The investigation found that younger peddlers, in particular, favour this model as it helps them evade police surveillance. Unlike fixed selling points, app-based deliveries leave no predictable physical pattern. Pickup points, phone numbers and online identities are frequently changed, while riders rotate automatically through platform algorithms. Students and young professionals appear to be a key target market, with sellers advertising drugs as "discreet", "safe" and requiring "no meeting", offering delivery timelines of 30 to 90 minutes, similar to food and grocery apps. Industry experts say the model exploits gaps in the delivery ecosystem. "These platforms are designed for speed and scale. Riders have no practical way to verify the contents of sealed parcels unless something appears suspicious," said a logistics industry professional. Police officials say monitoring of digital trails and coordination with cyber and narcotics units have been stepped up to counter the evolving tactics. HT tried to contact police commissioner (Lucknow), Amrendra K Sengar, and joint CP (crime), Amit Verma, for their comment on the issue, but there was no response till the filing of this report. Meanwhile, deputy commissioner of police (crime) Kamlesh Dixit acknowledged that drug smugglers are taking the new online route. He told HT: "A dedicated team in the surveillance cell is formed to keep track of such activities by monitoring phone calls, text messages and some times encrypted messaging applications to gather evidence of drug deals, prices and network structures."...