In a major crackdown, the Mumbai Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled what is believed to be India’s largest drug cartel, arresting six individuals linked to the operation.
The cartel, allegedly orchestrated by well-educated individuals, has reportedly trafficked drugs worth approximately Rs 1,128 crore throughout the country over the past two years.
At the center of this operation is Naveen Chichkar, a Navi Mumbai native currently abroad, identified as the mastermind.
Chichkar, who has a background in Criminal Psychology and Film and Television studies from London, continues to evade capture. According to officials, three other arrested suspects also possess international educational backgrounds.
The cartel’s operations involve trafficking cocaine and hybrid strain hydroponic weed.
These substances are imported to Mumbai via air cargo from the US, then distributed across India, with some products reportedly reaching Australia.
The breakthrough in the investigation came on January 1, when NCB officials, utilizing both technical and human intelligence, discovered the cartel’s smuggling operations within Mumbai. Their investigations revealed that in the past two years, the cartel has trafficked at least 80 to 90 kg of cocaine and about 60 kg of hybrid strain hydroponic weed.
Among those apprehended are a 30-year-old Hawala operator, H Patel, and a trader, H Mane, both from Navi Mumbai. The Hawala system, a traditional informal method of money transfer that doesn’t involve the physical movement of cash, was allegedly used to facilitate drug sales across the nation and distribute laundered profits among operators.
In addition to the arrests, authorities have seized a substantial quantity of drugs, including 11.540 kg of high-grade cocaine, 4.9 kg of hybrid strain hydroponic weed, 200 packets (5.5 kg) of cannabis gummies, and Rs 1,60,000 in cash from Navi Mumbai.