Delhi’s largest drug Seizures: police seize cocaine and marijuana worth Rs 2,000 Crore
Their investigation resulted in the arrest of four people who were involved in the drug trafficking operation.
In one of the largest drug seizures in the history of the national capital, the Delhi Police seized over 560 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of around Rs 2,000 crore. The Special Cell of the police had been looking into this case for over two months after receiving information. Their investigation resulted in the arrest of four people who were involved in the drug trafficking operation.
The primary suspect, Tushar Goel, a 40-year-old resident of Vasant Vihar, was arrested along with his driver Aurangzeb, his associate Himanshu, and Bharat Jain, who had come from Mumbai to receive the consignment. Police revealed that the drugs were being stored in a godown in Mahipalpur Extension, South Delhi, where the seizure was made.
International links and operation background
According to police officials, the investigation began in August when intelligence agencies tipped off the Central government about a major drug cartel attempting to distribute cocaine in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The cartel was believed to have connections to the Middle East, particularly with a handler based in Dubai.
Goel, who comes from a well-established business family, has been on the police radar for several months. He was the owner of Tushar Publications and Tulip Publications, two publishing houses based in Delhi. After graduating from IP University in 2003, Goel joined his family business but later got involved in illegal activities to support his lavish lifestyle, police said.
“Goel’s handlers are based in the Middle East, and he was responsible for distributing the cocaine across Delhi and the NCR,” said Additional Commissioner of Police, Pramod Singh Kushwaha. “The network is still being investigated to uncover its full extent,” he added.
Details of the arrest
The arrests took place near the Mahipalpur godown when Goel, along with his associate Himanshu and driver Aurangzeb, were delivering drugs to Bharat Jain. A search of the godown revealed the large quantity of cocaine, alongside some marijuana, further linking the group to illegal drug distribution activities.
Aurangzeb, 23, hails from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, and has been working as Goel’s driver since 2017. Initially employed for household duties, he soon became involved in Goel’s criminal activities. Himanshu, 27, who previously worked as a bodyguard, had been assisting Goel with the drug operations in the region. Bharat Jain, 48, was a receiver who had traveled from Kurla West, Mumbai, to collect the consignment for distribution in the city.
The suspects have been taken into custody and are currently being interrogated by the police as investigations continue to track the cartel’s other connections in India and abroad. Meanwhile, police are conducting background checks on all the arrested individuals and assessing the forward and backward linkages of the seized drugs. The police clarified that the cocaine seized was intended for distribution in Delhi and surrounding areas.
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