International drug cartel busted, 562 kg cocaine seized

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell unearthed an international drug cartel, seizing one of the largest consignments of cocaine in recent years, officials said on Wednesday.

The Trans Yamuna Range (TYR) team, recovered 562 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana which had come from Thailand.

The bust follows an extensive three-month investigation based on intelligence inputs from a Central Government agency. According to the police, the cartel had been smuggling narcotics into India, with Delhi as its primary distribution hub.

The crackdown came after the team received a tip-off in August about a drug cartel smuggling cocaine into the capital. Investigators kept the cartel’s members under discreet surveillance and tracked their movements, eventually identifying the key players, said Pramod Singh Kushwah, Additional Commissioner of Police.

The accused were identified as Tushar Goyal, 40, the alleged mastermind and the primary distributor in India, residing in Vasant Enclave; Himanshu Kumar, 27, Goyal’s associate, from Hind Vihar; Aurangzeb Siddiqui, 23, a driver-turned-associate, from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh and Bharat Kumar Jain, 48, a Mumbai-based trafficker, apprehended while attempting to collect a consignment of 15 kg cocaine from Goyal.

During the raid on October 1, the team seized narcotics from a godown in Mahipalpur. “Tushar Goyal is the main receiver and distributor of narcotic substances for the cartel in India,” Additional CP said. The police believe the kingpin behind the cartel is operating from the Gulf and investigations are going on to trace further links.

The arrested individuals have diverse backgrounds, Tushar Goyal, a graduate of IP University, was initially involved in his family’s publishing business but later moved into drug trafficking. His lavish lifestyle reportedly led him into the cartel’s network, which he operated out of Dubai, police said. Himanshu Kumar, a former bouncer, joined the cartel after meeting Goyal.

“He had dropped out of school and started working as a security guard before getting involved in drug trafficking,” Kushwah said.

While Aurangzeb Siddiqui, originally a driver for Goyal, and Bharat Kumar Jain from Mumbai, who had long-standing ties with those running the drug trade, also became key members of the cartel.

“The cocaine alone is valued at around Rs 10 crore per kilogram, and the hydroponic marijuana, which was sourced from Thailand, is worth approximately Rs 50 lakh per kilogram,” the Additional CP added.The Special Cell is currently working to trace both forward and backward linkages of the cartel.

The police are investigating connections with other national and international networks involved in drug smuggling.