Anti-Narcotics Task Force bust international narcotics network, six held

Chandigarh, Feb 28 (PTI) The Punjab Police's Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has busted an international narcotics network operating across the Tricity region here and Ludhiana, with the arrest of six key operatives and seizing an "unprecedented" haul of narcotics, MDMA tablets and cocaine.

The seized contraband includes 1,215 MDMA tablets — one of the largest MDMA tablet (a psychoactive drug) recoveries in the country — 263 grams cocaine, 82 grams methamphetamine (ICE), 1.2 kg of various THC (psychoactive substance) variants, 16 grams "magic mushrooms", and 400 grams of opium.

These highly potent, foreign-origin party drugs were aimed at targeting urban youth across club and party circuits in the Tricity (Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula) area, according to an official statement.

The arrested accused have been identified as Rishav, Mukesh Kumar, Lakhwinder Singh, Ravi Kumar, Baljinder Singh and Talwinder Singh, and drug proceeds worth Rs 9 lakh have also been recovered from their possession, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said in a statement on Saturday.

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.

Sharing operational details, Additional IG (ANTF) Ashwini Gotyal said that the action was initiated following specific inputs indicating that Rishav, who is a drug supplier, was operating from an apartment in Kharar in Punjab on the outskirts of Chandigarh and distributing narcotics within club and party circuits, primarily targeting youth in the Tricity (Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula) area.

Police teams conducted a raid at the identified premises, leading to the arrest of Rishav with the contraband and Rs 3 lakh from his possession, she said.

Gotyal said that further investigation uncovered a broader distribution module based in Ludhiana, which was functioning as a key supply and redistribution hub for the 'Tricity' region.

Subsequent raids resulted in the arrest of the other five operatives mentioned above with more contraband and Rs 6 lakh, she said.

Gotyal said that several of the seized substances are recognised globally as highly potent and dangerous, and have been subject to public health advisories and enforcement warnings in their countries of origin owing to their severe psychological and physiological effects. PTI SUN AMJ AMJ