Delhi’s biggest drug bust: Drug trafficking in India, previous seizures decoded | India News

Early reports valued the drugs at over Rs 2,000 crore. However, subsequent agency estimates revised this figure to over Rs 5,620 crore.

In the meantime, The times of India reported that the seized drugs, weighing over 540 kilograms, were worth over Rs 6,500 crore in the international market.

The exact quantity of cocaine and its international market value remain unclear.

The drug bust

Acting on intelligence from a central agency, a dedicated team from Delhi’s Special Cell tracked the activities of a major drug cartel operating between South America and India. For over three months, the team, led by Additional CP Pramod Singh Kushwaha, kept the cartel members under discreet surveillance.

They discovered that the cartel planned to flood the market with cocaine during concerts and festivals in Delhi, Mumbai and Goa.

On October 1, officers received a tip-off that a large consignment of drugs had arrived at a godown in Mahipalpur, Delhi. The godown, owned by Tushar Goyal, a major distributor of the cartel in India, was found to contain more than 540 kilos of top-quality Colombian cocaine.

Drugs hidden in boxes of polo shirts

The drugs, hidden in cardboard boxes, were ready for distribution in northern India, concealed in packages labeled polo T-shirts.

Goyal and three associates were arrested from the spot.

How Delhi’s Special Cell laid a trap for the drug cartel

The Delhi Special Cell, which had been working on the case for months, laid a trap outside Goyal’s Mahipalpur godown. They acted quickly on the information received and approached Goyal and his associates just as they were handing over a consignment to Bharat Kumar Jain (48), a Mumbai-based distributor with underworld connections.

Jain had come to pick up 15 kilos of cocaine. He was arrested from the spot along with Goyal (40), Goyal’s bodyguard Himanshu Kumar (27) and his driver Aurangzeb Siddiqui (23).

40 kg of marijuana was also found

During a raid on the godown, police found a stash that was much larger than expected. Along with the cocaine, worth Rs 12 crore per kilogram, officers seized 40 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, which has an estimated market value of Rs 60 lakh per kilogram. The narcotics were hidden between boxes of books, part of Goyal’s family business.

How did the drug cartel operate?

The drug cartel, which had ties to Latin American countries such as Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Mexico, smuggled drugs into India to sell to a high-end clientele. The group mainly targeted students, professionals and wealthy businessmen in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. Goyal, who had previously worked in his family’s publishing business before turning to real estate, eventually became a key figure for a Dubai-based drug cartel.

All monetary transactions for the drug deals were carried out using Tether, a cryptocurrency, making it more difficult for authorities to trace the money. Police have now identified the kingpin of this drug syndicate, who is currently based in Dubai. Efforts are being made to arrest him.

Arrests and investigation

Besides Goyal, his three associates played different roles in the operation. Himanshu Kumar, Goyal’s bodyguard, acted as the cartel’s enforcer, intimidating customers and ensuring smooth delivery of medicines. Aurangzeb Siddiqui, who worked as Goyal’s driver, played a crucial role in logistics and ensured safe transportation of drugs. Bharat Kumar Jain, connected to Mumbai’s underworld, facilitated the cartel’s operations in Mumbai and worked closely with Goyal to distribute the drugs.

The arrest is a major blow to the cartel and underlines the increasing sophistication of drug trafficking in India. Police believe that the seizure of over 540 kilos of cocaine, valued between Rs 2,000 crore and Rs 6,500 crore in the international market, will significantly disrupt the international drug trafficking network operating in India.

Drug trafficking through Golden Crescent, Golden Triangle

Drug cartels in India often originate from international networks operating in regions known as the “Golden Crescent” (Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran) and the “Golden Triangle” (Myanmar, Laos and Thailand).

These areas are notorious for the production of opium and heroin, which are then smuggled into India. From the Golden Crescent, drugs such as heroin often enter India via Punjab and Gujarat, while the Golden Triangle supplies drugs to the northeastern states via Myanmar.

India’s long coastline also facilitates maritime drug smuggling, especially through states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Previous drug seizures in India

On the same day as the Mahipalpur arrest, Delhi Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport arrested a Liberian national with 1,660 grams of cocaine worth Rs 24.9 crore. The passenger had arrived from Dubai and was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Earlier this yearIndian authorities have seized nearly 3,000 kilos of heroin at Gujarat’s Mundra port, marking one of the largest drug seizures in the country.

In 2023a joint operation between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Indian Navy led to the seizure of 2,500 kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine worth Rs 12,000 crore. Gujarat has become a hotbed for such arrests, with large shipments of drugs regularly intercepted.

In the same way, in 2022Mumbai Police intercepted a consignment worth over Rs 1,000 crore worth of methamphetamine. Such large-scale operations have become increasingly common in recent years as international drug cartels increasingly target the Indian market.

While the latest drug bust is a major victory for the Delhi Police, it highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in tackling drug trafficking in India. With international connections, growing demand and a wealthy clientele, drug cartels continue to pose a substantial threat in the country.

(With input from the agency)