In a significant crackdown against the rampant drug trade in Delhi, particularly in the Yamuna floodplains, the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has dismantled a major drug cartel.
This operation, known as “Cleansweep” uncovered a network involving a Nasha Mukti Kendra, a medical store and eight drug suppliers and their associates, all catering to drug addicts, officials informed on Wednesday.
The accused persons have been identified as Kherunisha alias Meena, a native of Kolkata, West Bengal and who resides in Loni, Ghaziabad, UP. She is also involved in the murder of her son-in-law, Rashid (26), a resident of Khwaja Park, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Aamir (30), a resident of Sonia Vihar, Delhi, Asif alias Sonu (33) a resident of Sonia Vihar, Delhi and Pardeep (54), a resident of Jahangirpuri, Delhi.
Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special CP, Crime Branch, stated that the initiative was prompted by the direct observations of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena who noted the escalating drug trafficking and abuse issues in the Yamuna floodplains. These concerns led him to instruct Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to take swift corrective measures.
The “Cleansweep” operation aligns with the “Zero Tolerance” policy promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to combat the drug menace. The government of India has consistently emphasized the need for stringent actions against drug traffickers, Yadav mentioned.
As of October 15, 2023, the Delhi Police had already made 1,468 arrests in 1,144 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases. This led to the seizure of substantial quantities of various drugs, including heroin, cocaine, ganja, opium, charas, and poppy heads.
The “Cleansweep” operation was a collaborative effort between the Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) of the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch, the North District Police, and the Drug Departments of both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The operation successfully led to the confiscation of 22 strips of Buprenorphine 2 mg, 28 syringes and 74 needles, 850 injections/vials of Avil of 10 ml, and 7 bags containing 2,800 injections of other drugs.
Adding further Yadav said that during the operation, investigators raided a Nasha Mukti Kendra Elegant Clinic in the Jahangirpuri area. The in-charge, Pradeep, was found to be deeply involved in drug trafficking. The clinic was misappropriating drugs intended for de-addiction and rehabilitation, selling them at inflated prices to drug trafficking gangs.
These gangs then distributed the drugs to addicts and vagabonds in the Yamuna floodplains.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrests of two drug suppliers - Kherunisha