Interstate narcotics syndicate busted, kingpin in police net

In a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking, the Delhi Police Central District team dismantled an interstate drug syndicate operating between Delhi and Bihar, and arrested the alleged kingpin following a sustained, intelligence-led operation.

The breakthrough came after the arrest of a local drug consumer last month triggered an investigation into the supply chain. The police said the operation exposed a well-organised network spanning multiple states, with links from street-level users in Delhi to bulk suppliers in Bihar.

According to officials, the incident came to light on March 24 when a man, identified as Mohd Ali, was apprehended by a patrol team from the Hauz Qazi police station while allegedly consuming smack. During interrogation, Ali revealed that he had procured the contraband from a supplier operating near Paharganj.

“Based on his disclosure and corroborated inputs, a dedicated team was formed to trace the source and dismantle the supply network,” a senior police officer said.

Subsequent raids led to the arrest of three accused - Binod Kumar, Sonu Kumar Mandal and Sanjit Kumar - from the Todapur area on March 27. The police recovered over 8.5 kg of ganja and some heroin from their possession.

Further investigation revealed that the contraband was being sourced both locally and from Bihar. Acting on these leads, the police conducted another raid in Raghubir Nagar, arresting one Surrender Prasad and recovering additional 10.6-gm heroin.

“The interrogation pointed towards a larger, organised interstate supply chain where drugs were procured at Rs 5,000-6,000 per kg and sold in Delhi at nearly double the price,” the officer added.

A special team was then dispatched to Madhepura in Bihar to trace the main supplier. On April 6, the alleged kingpin, identified as Banti Kumar, alias Lallan Sah (24), was apprehended near Baba Bishu Rawat Temple following technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs.

The police said the accused confessed to supplying huge quantity of ganja to Delhi-based operatives and admitted to distributing drugs in his local area as well.

“He disclosed that the contraband was sometimes circulated under the guise of ‘prasad’ near the temple, indicating a deliberate attempt to evade suspicion,” the officer said.

With the arrest of the kingpin, the police claim to have cracked the entire supply chain from source to street-level distribution. “This operation has effectively dismantled a well-entrenched interstate narcotics network,” the officer said, adding that further efforts are underway to identify additional links and accomplices.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is on.