Delhi Police nab 120 drug peddlers, Rs 21 lakh cash, narcotics seized under ‘Operation Kavach 10.0'

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) In a coordinated crackdowns against narcotics and organised crime, the Delhi Police has arrested 120 drug peddlers and recovered a substantial quantity of narcotics along with Rs 21 lakh cash under "Operation Kavach 10.0", an official said on Monday.

The 24-hour operation, carried out ahead of the festive season, was launched on September 20.

"It covered over 2,000 locations across all 15 districts of the national capital, with 1,140 police teams, including units of the Crime Branch and Special Cell, participating simultaneously," Special Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Devesh Chandra Srivastva in a statement said.

Police said that 96 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, leading to the arrest of 120 offenders. The seizures included 158.9 grams of heroin, 40.2 kg of cannabis, 108 grams of cocaine and Rs 21,08,400 in cash.

Among the major apprehensions was the arrest of Sangeeta Devi (39) in Dwarka district. She was allegedly found carrying over 8 kg of cannabis along with Rs 21 lakh in cash.

The police described her as one of the key players in the local narcotics trade. In another case in Uttam Nagar, a woman named Barkha was held with 27 grams of heroin.

In South Delhi's Ambedkar Nagar area, police arrested Vinod, a 48-year-old resident of Madangir, with 2.7 kg of cannabis. He later disclosed that he used to procure narcotics from another contact in Jal Vihar, he said.

Apart from narcotics cases, 269 cases were registered under the Delhi Excise Act. The seizures included 337 liquor bottles, 33,310 quarters of illicit liquor, 115 beer bottles and 278 beer cans. Police also booked 1,507 persons for drinking in public places.

Under the Arms Act, 117 persons were arrested in 115 cases. The recoveries included two pistols, 16 country-made firearms, 23 live cartridges and 95 knives, the Special CP said.

In a parallel crackdown on illegal gambling, 358 people were arrested in 192 cases with the seizure of nearly Rs 4 lakh in cash. Twenty-six proclaimed offenders and 24 auto-lifters were also arrested, with 50 stolen two-wheelers recovered.

The Crime Branch has also busted a major racket of illegal cigarettes being sold without statutory health warnings. Acting on a tip-off, police raided a shop near Fatehpuri Masjid and seized 1.1 lakh cigarette sticks of various brands, valued at around Rs 25 lakh. Two accused -- Sahid (53), and Mohammad Shahnawaz Ansari (37) of Delhi's Dariyaganj -- were arrested.

In another case, Crime Branch teams recovered 10,000 cigarettes from a shop in Rohini's DC Chowk Market, leading to the arrest of accused Anoop Chaurasiya (32).

The police said 20,854 people were detained under preventive provisions of the Delhi Police Act, while 6,321 individuals were taken into preventive custody.

"This sustained crackdown under the zero-tolerance policy is part to dismantle drug cartels and protect the youth from narcotics. Operation Kavach 10.0 underscores their focus not only on enforcement but also on creating awareness," the officer said, adding that during the current year till September 15, police have arrested 2,163 narco-offenders in 1,674 NDPS cases and recovered nearly 56 kg of heroin, 4,560 kg of ganja, 262 kg of opium, and other narcotics. PTI SSJ BM BM NB NB