Delhi Police Busts International Drug Syndicate Using Anardana Facade

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) — In a significant breakthrough, the Delhi Police has dismantled an international drug syndicate involved in smuggling high-quality opium disguised as 'anardana' digestive tablets. Two members of the cartel were arrested, a senior official confirmed on Wednesday.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police, which executed the operation, reported that the apprehended individuals, including the syndicate's kingpin, unveiled how they utilized Ayurvedic products as a front to transport narcotics overseas.

The suspects, identified as Harvinder Kumar, also known as Harsh Dawar, and Lalit Ahuja, alias Lucky, were based in Ludhiana, Punjab, as per police reports.

"Their strategy involved leveraging their medical business facade to disguise narcotics as herbal digestive tablets, hiding them within international courier parcels destined for Canada and Australia," stated Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Harsh Indora.

The officer added that the case surfaced on May 22 when the Crime Branch received intelligence concerning a dubious international consignment.

"Upon raiding the premises, our team discovered 465 grams of opium camouflaged as tablets resembling 'anardana goli', a popular digestive in India. The drugs were concealed amidst chocolates, clothes, and other miscellaneous items," the officer explained.

Consequently, an FIR was lodged, prompting an investigation that led authorities to Ludhiana. On May 24, Lalit Ahuja, the owner of a drug store, was arrested, and an additional seven grams of similar opium tablets were seized from his establishment.

During interrogation, Ahuja disclosed the syndicate's detailed modus operandi and identified the principal supplier, Harvinder Kumar, who operated a wholesale medical business in the same locale.

According to the DCP, the duo ingeniously transformed the opium into tablet form, imitating the texture and look of the digestive tablets to masquerade the drugs as Ayurvedic products.

"The tablets were meticulously packaged in authentic-looking boxes of renowned herbal brands to evade detection," the DCP noted, stressing that several consignments might have been shipped abroad before the ring was uncovered.

Following Ahuja's capture, Kumar went into hiding, frequently changing his whereabouts and SIM cards while traversing across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Eventually, the law enforcement team traced his location and apprehended him on June 26 during a raid at his Ludhiana agency office.

Further investigations are ongoing to identify the overseas recipients and the financial networks complicit in the racket, the officer concluded.

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