Delhi Drug Cartel’s ₹25.65 Crore Syndicate Linked to Terror Funding; Central Agencies Join Probe

AHMEDABAD — In a major breakthrough exposing international narcotics networks, the Ahmedabad and Surat Crime Branches have busted a Delhi-based interstate drug cartel, seizing heroin and MD drugs valued at over ₹25.65 crore. As investigators dig deeper into the syndicate, emerging intelligence points to drug sale proceeds being channelled through hawala networks to fund terror activities, prompting central intelligence agencies to join the probe alongside Gujarat Police.

The operation has uncovered direct links between the cartel and Afghan drug kingpin Rahmat Gul. According to investigators, narcotics consignments were smuggled across the border into Punjab via drones before being distributed to various parts of the country. Top officials in Gandhinagar and New Delhi are directly monitoring the interrogation of the arrested accused to dismantle the pan-India supply chain.

Cross-Border Drone Drops and Hawala Money Trails

Police interrogation revealed that the syndicate operated in close coordination with Afghan handlers. The accused regularly imported high-purity heroin through drone-dropped consignments along the Punjab frontier.

Investigators are currently mapping financial trails to track how drug money was funneled back to Afghanistan via hawala channels and to identify the primary financiers backing the operation. Despite previous arrests of key operatives in past narcotics cases, the syndicate managed to regroup and re-establish a nationwide distribution network.

Rajkot Connection and Seized Syndicate Diary

Acting on disclosures made by the arrested suspects, the Crime Branch has launched a manhunt for Aslam, a resident of Rajkot who was slated to receive a major portion of the seized drug consignment.

Key operational developments in the ongoing crackdown include:

• Statewide Raids: Police teams have raided seven locations across Gujarat linked to local distribution points.
• Incriminating Diary Recovered: Investigators seized a diary containing coded names and contact details of local suppliers and peddlers across the state.
• Peddlers Go Underground: Following the massive drug seizure, local retail peddlers across Ahmedabad and other cities have gone into hiding as police sweep through hideouts to break the supply chain.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) have converged on Ahmedabad to interrogate the suspects and trace international terror linkages.