Int’l drug syndicate dismantled in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Anti-Gang Squad of the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested six drug traffickers who were using the dark web, cryptocurrency, and privacy-focused communication apps to traffic drugs.

According to the police, the investigation, initiated on October 18, followed intelligence about the syndicate importing hydroponic marijuana worth crores.

A parcel containing 1.5 kg of exotic weed valued at 1 crore rupees was intercepted at the R.K. Puram Post Office, leading to the registration of an FIR under sections 20, 23, and 29 of the NDPS Act. Additional parcels worth Rs 2 crore were traced at the Foreign Post Office. Key syndicate members, including Dhingra, Vivek (alias Mukul) and Mansher Singh, evaded capture initially. Vivek, who fled to Thailand, was apprehended upon his return in November 2023.

Months later, Dhingra and Singh were found in Gurugram, hiding in a flat owned by an associate, Preeti Chawla, who was arrested for aiding them. The syndicate’s operations involved fake SIM cards, disposable phones, cryptocurrency transactions, and infiltration of critical points like post offices to bypass customs checks. Drugs were distributed using fake IDs and app-based bookings.

Over three months, the gang smuggled 48 kg of marijuana worth Rs 20–25 crore while strategically avoiding detection of commercial quantities. Illicit profits were funneled into property acquisitions, four of which, worth Rs 1.5 crore, were seized.