82-kg cocaine seizure in Delhi: Is Haji Salim the ‘mastermind’ behind drug network? | Crime News
Haji Salim, linked to a massive 82-kg cocaine seizure in Delhi, is a key person in an international drug trafficking network. His operations, stretching across multiple countries, have led to large-scale drug busts.
The drugs were found in two locations in Delhi—at a courier company in Janakpuri and a residence in Nangloi.
New Delhi: Haji Salim, known as the “lord of drugs,” has been directly linked to a drug bust by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which led to the seizure of 82 kilograms of high-quality cocaine on Friday.
The drugs were found in two locations in Delhi—at a courier company in Janakpuri and a residence in Nangloi. The cocaine was to be sent to international markets, primarily Australia, and its value is estimated to be around Rs 900 crore.
Drug racket busted by NCB
The operation began when Maruti International Courier Company in Janakpuri flagged a suspicious package being sent to Australia. Upon inspection, NCB officials found over 1 kilogram of cocaine inside.
Further investigation revealed that the shipment had been booked by Awadhesh Kumar, a resident of Nangloi, who had links to an international drug trafficking network.
When NCB raided Kumar’s residence, they found 75 additional packets of cocaine, which had been carefully packed in layers. This led to the discovery of the total 82.53 kilograms of cocaine, all believed to be part of Haji Salim’s smuggling operations.
Haji Salim’s involvement
Salim, who is suspected of being one of the major masterminds behind this operation, has long been a target of international law enforcement agencies due to his widespread drug trafficking network.
Salim’s operation involves the use of sophisticated smuggling techniques, including the transportation of drugs by sea. The drugs seized in this operation had been brought to Delhi from Ahmedabad by road, then sent overseas using courier services.
Haji Salim’s name has frequently come up in investigations into global drug trafficking, and his network is known to operate in multiple countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
As part of the ongoing investigation, NCB arrested Kumar, along with his associate Lokesh Chopra, who helped coordinate the logistics of the drug shipments. Additional arrests were made, including Naman Nair, an employee at a diagnostic center, and jeweler Rishi Sachdeva, both of whom were implicated in the racket.
Salim’s involvement in this drug trade is part of a larger pattern of smuggling operations that have been traced back to Pakistan, where he is reportedly protected by the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI. His smuggling routes often use satellite phones and armed guards, making it difficult for authorities to catch him.
In response to his growing influence in the international drug trade, Indian authorities launched “Operation Sagar Manthan,” aiming to dismantle Salim’s network. As part of this operation, over 4,000 kilograms of drugs have already been seized, with many of them linked to Salim’s operations.
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