The cartel behind Delhi’s biggest drug bust totaling over Rs 7,000 crore has combined low-tech and modern techniques to avoid detection and ensure the consignment reaches its intended recipient, including torn notes. Police said he was using an encrypted messaging app along with a PIN and an encrypted messaging app. on friday.
Last week, over 500 kg of cocaine worth Rs 5,000 crore was recovered from Mahipalpur in south-west Delhi, followed by the seizure of over 200 kg of the same drug worth Rs 2,080 crore from a rented store in south Delhi on Thursday. . The same cartel is suspected of being involved in the smuggling of both shipments.
At least seven people have been arrested so far in the case, which has helped Delhi Police unravel the cartel’s activities.
Employing an old-fashioned method often seen in movies, the cartel used slang during the delivery of the shipments, and handed the delivery man and the recipient pieces of banknotes with numbers printed on them torn apart. Both knew the full number of the banknote, and the handover took place only after the torn pieces reflected that number when assembled.
Meanwhile, members of the group spoke to each other using paid encrypted messaging apps to avoid prying eyes from agents.
top-down approach
Officials say few people in the well-oiled machine actually know each other, and the Derry wing only becomes active when a shipment is scheduled to arrive. That’s what it means. The head of the cartel, who lives overseas, will decide the role each member will play and the distribution of profits each member will receive.
The cartel is suspected of having links to people from the UK and Dubai, and is active in Delhi and Mumbai. Dubai-based businessman Virendra Basoya is believed to be one of the cartel’s ringleaders and may be its central figure, officials said.
In last week’s seizure, the cocaine was kept in the safe of arrested suspect Tushar Goyal. Bisoya allegedly offered Goyal Rs 3 billion for each consignment.
On Thursday, the drugs were found hidden in snack bags at a rented store, where authorities said they were kept by a British national who is now on the run.