Alia is cocaine, Anushka is hashish: Mumbai police decode Bollywood aliases for drug deals

The link between Bollywood and Indian organized crime is as old as time itself. From connections to Dawood to the underworld’s hand in film piracy and counterfeiting, Bollywood’s unholy association with the underworld is an infamous phase of the industry’s past. Heck, even films have been made on it. It seems that a disclosure by the Mumbai police has revealed that the mafia hasn’t quite forgotten that connection yet, at least when it comes to creating code words. According to Mumbai’s Crime Branch, the underworld has its own lexicon of drug aliases that feature everything from new Bollywood releases to the names of celebrities, reports India Today. Phrases like “Sultan is always late” and “the last time Sultan proved a box office hit” were decoded by the police as phrases used to describe drug deals. These terms denoted the person supplying or organising the drugs. According to the Hindustan Times many other Bollywood stars also feature in this notorious list. Here’s what some of the code words are:

Ranveer Singh: Peddler

Ranbir Kapoor: Host

Alia Bhatt: Cocaine

Kangana Ranaut: Afeem (opium)

Katrina Kaif: Smack (heroin)

Priyanka Chopra: LSD

Anushka Sharma: Hashish (hash)

Nargis Fakhri: Ecstasy

A Mid-Day story reveals how this strategy was devised keeping New Year’s celebrations in mind. Recent blockbuster Bollywood flicks like Sairat, Bajirao Mastani and Pink were used to endorse designer drugs. They also hampered drug busts since such code names made it difficult to trace which part of the city this drugs were being distributed from, an official admitted to Mid-Day. The Mumbai police had recently launched a helpline where citizens could call if they find illicit distribution or consumption of drugs. It seems like the anti-narcotics cell might have to brush up on their Bollywood trivia to keep up with the times, and the drugs.