Int'l drug cartel busted, heroin from Afpak to India, Lanka

An international drug cartel was smashed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police with the arrest of three of its members and recovery of nine kg of heroin with street value of Rs 30 crore.

According to the police, A Venugopal Reddy (29), a resident of Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh, Ragmeet Singh (25) and Shurbir Singh (28), both residents of Delhi were arrested recently.

Under the racket, several conduits based in Afghanistan and Pakistan push heroin into India through Punjab border from where it is carried by road, rail into Delhi and delivered to conduits like Shurbir, Ragmeet and some other Afghani Sikhs
From here it is taken to southern part of the country from where Sri Lankan conduits receive it for smuggling into Sri Lanka, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.

Initially, a tip off was received on Wednesday that Reddy would come to Shankar Road here to collect drugs from suspected suppliers of the syndicate.

"Following the tip off, a trap was laid and Reddy was apprehended and three kg of heroine seized from his possession. By the time he was located, identified and apprehended, the supplier had managed to leave the scene," said Yadav.

During sustained interrogation, he disclosed that he has been into this illegal trade for the last six months along with his associates Gopi, Durra and others, he said.
Reddy also revealed that in this month alone, he had received two big consignments from a Sikh man known to him as 'Mr Singh' and one Tamilian known to him as 'Arun', both residents of Delhi.

Venugopal Reddy provided inputs about the identities of two Afghani Sikhs who were coordinating this trade and were living somewhere in the area of Mahabir Nagar.

While efforts were afoot to locate the two Afghani Sikhs involved in the trade, on Thursday a team of Punjab Police also arrived in the office of Special Cell and sought assistance in the identification and apprehension of a suspect known to them as Shurbir of Delhi.

This Shurbir was wanted in a case of NDPS Act registered in Punjab and finding the similarities in the suspects being pursued by Special Cell and the Punjab Police, a joint team was formed, police said.

"Sources were put on work and soon, it was learnt that suspects Shurbir Singh and Ragmeet Singh were present in the area of Majnu Ka Tila where they were supposed to meet another courier member of this syndicate for delivering another consignment of heroin. The joint team reached the spot and nabbed the duo. They were found in possession of 6 Kg heroine," said Yadav.

During their preliminary interrogation, the duo allegedly told police that they are members of a large trans-national narcotics racket which is being jointly coordinated by one Ali of Kuwait and one Samiullah of Afghanistan.

"Ali finds customers while the delivery is done by Samiullah who controls production in Afghanistan," said Yadav, adding, from there it istaken to Pakistan and pushed through Punjab border from where it is carried by road and rail to Delhi.

In Delhi, the Tamil and Telugu regulators of the syndicate take over and utilise several south Indian conduits to distribute the heroin into the southern part of the country from where Sri Lankan conduits receive it for smuggling into Sri Lanka, he said.

"The accused have disclosed that since January itself, they have, in the manner stated above, received around 125 kgs of heroin which has been pushed down the chain for intending processors as well as bulk and retail consumers," said Yadav.

Efforts are on to identify other members of this syndicate and to apprehend them. Further investigation is in progress, police said.