NEW DELHI: Heroin worth a staggering Rs 130 crore was seized from four traffickers in a month-long operation carried out by the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) of Delhi Police.
Among the arrested four, one is an Afghan national, the main receiver of the heroin in Delhi, and another suspect code-named “doctor”, an expert in manufacturing the drug by using precursors.
“Liquid heroin was trafficked into India by various means and was processed and distributed by this cartel. The network had a pan-India as well as international reach with deep roots in Delhi-NCR, Punjab and J&K,” said DCP (Crime) KPS Malhotra.
The suspect, Parvej Alam alias doctor (51), was one of the main members of this syndicate, as he had the expertise to process liquid opium and convert it into powder form. He was engaged in drug trafficking since 2014. A few years ago, he was arrested under NDPS Act and came in touch with Afghan traffickers in jail and started working for them, police said.
The Afghan national, Naseem Barkazy (30), came to India on the pretext of treatment of his wife and started working for the cartel. “He supplied crude heroin to doctor for processing. The third suspect, Shami, belongs to Amritsar and worked as a tour and travel agent. He had come to take the delivery of heroin on behalf of his local network in Amritsar. The fourth accused, Rajat Gupta, is a close aide of one of the main traffickers in Punjab,” said Malhotra.
The arrests were made by a team comprising ACPs Sunil Kumar, Anil Sharma and Arshdeep. The newly formed ANTF got information about the Afghan receiver operating from east Delhi and apprehended him with 3kg of heroin. He took the cops to doctor’s hideout in Bhajanpura and 7.4kg of heroin was seized from there. Drug sale proceeds of Rs 4.53 lakh were seized from a house in Vishwas Nagar.
During their interrogation, it emerged that a third associate from Punjab, Shami, had recently received a consignment of heroin for distribution in Punjab. A raid was conducted in Mahavir Nagar, Dabri and 11kg heroin, precursor (mixing chemicals) and Rs 22 lakh in cash was seized from him. Shami took police to Gupta, from whom six mobile phones and incriminating documents were seized. In all, 21.4kg of heroin and Rs 26.53 lakh in cash were seized.
The arrested men revealed how they communicated through encrypted chat platforms and how the liquid heroin was sent through various channels, including the air route, to India and was then readied in local labs for distribution. Raids are on and more arrests are likely.
