NCB busts Rs 1128 crore drug cartel run by ‘highly educated’ syndicate

The drugs seized by the cops. Pis/NCB sources

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai has busted a high-profile drug cartel operated by highly educated individuals from Navi Mumbai. So far, the agency has arrested six people and seized drugs worth Rs 200 crore. Investigations reveal that the cartel has trafficked drugs worth R1128 crore across multiple states in India over the past two years.

Naveen Chichkar, key accused

The initial operation, conducted in January and February, was praised by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. According to NCB sources, the key accused, Naveen Chichkar, is currently based abroad and remotely runs the syndicate with the help of associates in India. Chichkar, who studied film and television along with criminal psychology in London, is believed to be controlling operations from outside the country. Another arrested accused has also studied abroad, while two others are graduates.

The cartel primarily deals in cocaine and hybrid strain hydroponic cannabis, smuggling the substances into Mumbai via air cargo shipments from the US. "Once in Mumbai, the drugs were distributed across various states in India. Investigations have also revealed that, apart from selling drugs locally, the cartel was re-exporting them to foreign markets, including Australia," said an NCB officer.

Cocaine and cannabis seized by the authorities. PIC/NCB sources

As part of the crackdown, the NCB arrested a 30-year-old hawala operator, H Patel, and a trader from Navi Mumbai, H Mane, who was responsible for collecting and distributing the drugs. Patel managed the laundering of the proceeds through hawala networks. The agency has not disclosed the names of the four other accused, citing the ongoing investigation, but officials have confirmed that they are highly educated individuals similar to the London-based mastermind.

According to the NCB, investigations so far have revealed that the accused have sold around 80-90 kg of cocaine worth R1128 crore in the past two years, with prices ranging between Rs 10-15 crore per kg in the international market. Additionally, the cartel has trafficked over 50 kg of hybrid strain hydroponic cannabis, valued at approximately R90 lakh per kg.

On January 31, NCB officials traced the smuggling network and raided a location in Navi Mumbai, seizing 11.54 kg of high-grade cocaine, 4.9 kg of hydroponic cannabis, 5.5 kg of cannabis gummies, and R1.6 lakh in cash. The investigation was triggered when a suspicious parcel was intercepted at an international courier agency in Mumbai. The package, intended for Australia, led investigators to a hidden consignment in Navi Mumbai.

The NCB's findings suggest that the cartel is part of a larger international drug network. Some of the seized drugs were smuggled from the US and distributed both within India and abroad through courier services, small cargo shipments, and human carriers. The syndicate's members operated anonymously, using pseudonyms for daily communications related to drug dealing.

Rs 1128 CR
Value of drugs allegedly trafficked by cartel