In a major operational drive against the drug syndicates which were rating in the region, NCB has successfully neutralized three inter-state drug cartels wherein multiple drugs were seized and arrested prime members along with key associates. In one of the operations in Mumbai and Delhi, the NCB had seized nearly 7 kg of cocaine and arrested five persons, including four foreigners. In other cases, the NCB seized 7500 Nitrazepam tablets, MDMA, LSD, Hash Oil and Hashish.
According to the NCB, in the first operation based on the specific information, a woman was arrested from Tilak Nagar, New Delhi, after 4.984 kg of cocaine was recovered from her trolley bag recently. Her interrogation later resulted in the apprehension of two other male (Ethiopian Nationals) from a Masjid Bunder based hotel in Mumbai and 2 kg of cocaine was recovered from them. The syndicate was spread pan-India and its major area of operation was Mumbai and Delhi.
The seizure of approximately 07 kg cocaine, led to discovery of a new modus operandi wherein drug traffickers are using citizens of African countries as drug carriers and were switching airports based on their survey over vigil by law enforcement agencies. The whole trip for the drug carriers was sponsored by the handlers controlling the syndicate from African nations. All the drug carriers arrested have been first time travellers to India, officials said.
"During the preliminary investigation in the case it has been found that the syndicate had a meeting with a group of eight to ten drug carriers in Ethiopia and the main handler had assigned roles and tasks to each of them to land drug consignment in India. It is also revealed that some of the active syndicate members and carriers have landed in different cities in India and have delivered their drug consignments to their counterparts in India," said an NCB official.
The syndicate was being managed by Nigerian drug traffickers and the lady arrested from Delhi is wife of one of the main kingpin operating the syndicate from Delhi. He was using his wife, a mother of three, as a local carrier who would facilitate the transshipment of cocaine from the drug mules at Mumbai to his residence at Delhi and further delivery to other kingpins in Delhi only and followed up by further distribution pan India.
The drug mules were being paid handsomely for their sponsored trips to carry the consignments (about 1000 to 1200 USD per kg) depending on the risk factors during transshipments. Further, it is also revealed that these syndicate members were using social media platforms as their mode of communication among themselves. The syndicate handlers used to pass on directions to these mules either directly or used to communicate via designated members to avoid reverse tracking and source of drugs.
This seizure has led to the identification of new transnational drug syndicates and kingpins staying in India who have married Indian girls, have families and overstaying beyond their visa period. The Indian ladies married to these traffickers are being used/misused for carrying/storing/harbouring the drug consignments and traffickers.
In another case, NCB-Mumbai arrested a Mumbai-based person named S. Bhagat with LSD, MDMA and Hash Oil in August. The Mumbai-based kingpin is named Alex. V was also identified. The person was involved with a social media-based drug trafficking syndicate with its suppliers and consumers spread across multiple states like Delhi, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, etc.
"An Instagram-based group named “_PARTY_PACK_” was identified which was actively involved in the trafficking of multiple drugs. Alex was arrested on October 14 and confessed to being the creator of the online-based drug syndicate. During the investigation, it was revealed that Alex had also supplied drugs to the syndicate persons which was recently busted by the Vishakhapatnam police. Since most of its members are youngsters with online media platform presence, it was relatively easier for the members to order and pay through online apps in real-time with a pan-India based market," said an NCB official.
Illicit consignment of pharma-based tablets into Mumbai
In another case, intelligence was gathered which indicated about transportation of an illicit consignment of pharma-based tablets into Mumbai. It was gathered that the consignment was being trans-shipped by a local courier from Ahmedabad to Borivali. The said consignment was to be received by a Mumbai-based person for further distribution in retail. As per the information on October 04, a receiver arrived at the office to pick up the parcel after which the person was intercepted. The parcel was found to be containing 7,500 Nitrazepam tablets without proper documentation.
Preliminary questioning of the receiver named N. Shaikh revealed that he was part of the larger syndicate and that he was ought to hand over the parcel to his handler named Abdul. K and his key associate S. Ansari. All the suspects were later arrested.
