In a coordinated effort between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, an international drug trafficking ring has been busted.
This operation yielded a major blow to the illegal drug trade, with 50 kg of Pseudoephedrine confiscated in Delhi, along with the arrest of three individuals.
The drug network spanned from India to countries like New Zealand, Australia, and Malaysia, utilizing air and sea cargo to transport illicit substances.
Disguised as harmless food items such as health mix powder and desiccated coconut, these shipments were part of a larger scheme to smuggle drugs across borders.
NCB received intelligence from New Zealand customs and Australian police, uncovering large quantities of Pseudoephedrine concealed within desiccated coconut powder shipments.
Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in producing methamphetamine, a highly sought-after drug globally which sells for around ₹1.5 crore/kg in New Zealand and Australia.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified Delhi as the source of these shipments, prompting the formation of a joint task force between NCB and Delhi Police.
After months of surveillance, the team raided a warehouse in West Delhi on February 15, apprehending three individuals from Tamil Nadu and seizing the illegal substance.
Interrogations revealed that the syndicate had dispatched approximately 45 consignments over three years, totaling around 3,500 kilograms of Pseudoephedrine valued at over ₹2,000 crore internationally.
The mastermind behind this operation, a Tamil film producer, remains escaped, prompting ongoing efforts to capture him and dismantle the network further. NCB is collaborating with authorities in New Zealand and Australia to dismantle the broader international network.
