CHANDIGARH: In a major blow to an organised international drug trafficking network, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Punjab Police has busted an international narcotics network operating across the Tricity region and Ludhiana, with the arrest of six key operatives involved in the supply of highly potent, foreign-origin party drugs targeting urban youth, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.
Those arrested have been identified as Rishav, Mukesh Kumar, Lakhwinder Singh, Ravi Kumar, Baljinder Singh and Talwinder Singh.
DGP Gaurav Yadav stated that the scale of the seizure is unprecedented, marking one of the largest MDMA tablet recoveries in the country.
The seized contraband includes 1, 215 MDMA tablets, 263 grams cocaine, 82 grams methamphetamine (ICE), 1.2 kg of various THC variants, 16 grams magic mushrooms, and 400 grams of opium, he said, while adding that drug proceeds amounting to ₹9 lakh were also recovered from the possession of the accused persons.
The DGP said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the syndicate sourced narcotics from abroad through air courier channels and used encrypted social media platforms to coordinate distribution and evade detection.Further investigation is underway to trace backward and forward linkages and identify other associates, he added.
Sharing operational details, AIG ANTF Ashwini Gotyal said that the action was initiated following specific human intelligence inputs indicating that a drug supplier, identified as Rishav, was operating from an apartment in Kharar and distributing narcotics within club and party circuits, primarily targeting youth in the Tricity area.