International drug racket in Delhi: Film producer identified as mastermind; NCB, Delhi Police seize illegal substance

A joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Delhi Police's Special Cell has dismantled an international drug trafficking syndicate. In a significant strike against the illegal drug trade, 50 kg of Pseudoephedrine was seized in Delhi. Three people have been arrested as well.

The drug network is extended through India to countries such as New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia. Traffickers used air and sea cargo to ship their illegal cargo. Disguised as food products like health mix powder and desiccated coconut, these shipments were part of a larger scheme to distribute drugs across borders.

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NCB received information from New Zealand customs and Australian police. Large quantities of Pseudoephedrine, used to make methamphetamine, were concealed within shipments of desiccated coconut powder. Meth is the highest drug in demand worldwide. It sells for around ₹1.5 crore per kg in Australia and New Zealand.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) pinpointed Delhi as the source of these shipments. Recognising the gravity of the situation, a joint task force comprising members from the NCB and Delhi Police was assembled. After four months of rigorous surveillance, the team zeroed in on a warehouse in Basai Darapur, West Delhi.

The joint force executed a raid on February 15 as the culprits were engaged in packing the Pseudoephedrine amid a shipment of multigrain food mix. This led to the arrest of three people, all from Tamil Nadu. The illegal substance was also recovered. Interrogations revealed that over the past three years, the syndicate had dispatched around 45 consignments, totalling approximately 3,500 kilograms of Pseudoephedrine, valued at over ₹2,000 crore on the international market.

Mastermind: Film producer

The mastermind behind this operation, identified as a Tamil film producer, remains at large. Authorities are pursuing leads to capture him and dismantle the remaining network. The NCB is collaborating with counterparts in New Zealand and Australia In a move to bust the broader international network.