International drug syndicate busted, 3 arrested

The Delhi Police on Saturday claimed to have busted an international drug syndicate with links to Thailand and arrested three accused. The police also seized over 1 kg of high-grade imported hydroponic ganja, commonly known as ‘OG’, an official said.

The accused have been identified as Faizan Rizwi (24), a resident of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh; Riyazuddin (44) of Daryaganj; and Nadeem Beg (42) of Shaheen Bagh, the cop added.

According to police, the operation was carried out by a team from IP Estate police station following specific intelligence inputs near the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) campus on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Central Delhi.

Around 4:10 am, two motorcycle-borne persons allegedly attempted to deliver the contraband to a person who reached the spot on a scooty with cash. A team swiftly intervened and apprehended all three suspects, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir said.

The DCP mentioned that two vacuum-sealed packets containing a total of 1 kg of imported hydroponic ganja, along with Rs 4 lakh in cash believed to be intended for the purchase of the drugs, was recovered.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the IP Estate police station, and further investigation is underway, he added.

During interrogation and technical analysis, investigators found that the accused were part of a well-organised transnational drug network. The syndicate is allegedly operated by Shoaib Rizwi, also known as ‘Zen’, a resident of Muzaffarnagar who is currently based in Bangkok, Thailand, the cop elaborated.

According to the officer, Rizwi coordinated supply chains, financial transactions and communications for the syndicate. Nadeem Beg is suspected to have arranged “mules” to travel to Thailand and smuggle the contraband into India.

The network reportedly used international WhatsApp numbers and burner phones to evade law enforcement agencies and had multiple operatives across Delhi and other regions for distribution.

Police teams conducted raids at several locations in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar and Moradabad districts to trace other members of the syndicate.

However, the alleged kingpin is believed to have fled abroad and is currently operating from Thailand, the official said.

Efforts are on to identify and apprehend other associates and dismantle the financial and logistical backbone of the network, he added.