NEW DELHI: The Anti-Narcotics Task Force of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled a well-organised interstate drug cartel, arresting two more members and seizing heroin worth nearly Rs 17.8 crore.
The operation began on June 28, when Gaurav (24), a resident of Rohini, was arrested with 1.4 kg of heroin.
A case under the NDPS Act was registered, and further investigation exposed the wider network. Gaurav disclosed that he procured drugs from Vansh Popat (19) of Kirari, who was traced after weeks on the run and arrested on September 2 with 26 grams of heroin.
The chain of inquiry extended to Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, where the syndicate’s main supplier, Arslam alias Danish (26), was intercepted on September 6. Crime Branch officers recovered 2.1 kg of heroin hidden in his car.
Police profiling revealed that Gaurav, a school dropout, earlier sold illicit liquor before shifting to narcotics for higher profits.
Vansh, unemployed, sourced heroin from Bareilly and supplied it in bulk to Gaurav. Arslam, once a mechanic, turned to drug trafficking under the influence of local smack dealers.
The operation was led by SI Amrendra under Inspector Vikas Pannu and ACP Raj Kumar. Officials said efforts are underway to trace the broader supply chain and identify associates, stressing that the case underlines the growing interstate nexus in narcotics trafficking and the scale of the threat to Delhi.