Delhi Drug Cartel Supplied Contraband to 2,000 Consumers

Hyderabad: The EAGLE Force-Telangana worked on leads obtained in the Malnadu Restaurant illegal drugs bust and the case of Mahindra University students caught with narcotics to unearth the network of Nick, a major cartel operator based in Nigeria who was operating in the Capital. The operation was carried out with the Delhi police.

The cartel was supplying drugs to more than 2,000 consumers and peddlers across India. Hundreds of mule bank accounts were being used to collect money. These accounts, along with connected phone numbers, were handed over to Nigerian handlers, sources said.

A day after the EAGLE, which deployed dozens of its personnel, detected the case in Delhi, it was found that drug parcels had been dispatched from localities such as Lado Sarai, Mehrauli, Sant Garh, Pratap Enclave, Nilothi, Munirka, and other areas in Delhi.

Drugs were hidden inside courier packages containing shoes, garments, cosmetics, slippers, and similar items. Several courier networks were used extensively by the cartel.

EAGLE SP Ch Rupesh said that force identified 11 consumers from Hyderabad who were directly sourcing drugs from the cartel. These individuals were traced through mule account transactions, POD sheets, replies from the courier companies and communication analysis. Replies are still pending from many courier services.

During the raids held at 20 locations in Delhi, more than 50 overstaying Nigerians were arrested, along with key cartel operatives in Noida, Gwalior and Visakhapatnam.

The operation involved the officers from multiple agencies and led to the seizure of 5,340 Ecstasy pills, 250 grams of cocaine, 109 grams of heroin, and 250 grams of methamphetamine from four locations. The seized drugs are worth `3.5 crores. Huge cash was also seized, besides the identification of 59 mule accounts and 16 major cartel hubs in Delhi. Over 100 bank accounts which were involved in this drug cartel were also frozen.