The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested key members, including the kingpin, of an inter-State narcotic drug cartel with four kg of fine quality heroin, worth Rs16 crore in the international market, said a senior police official.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ganesh Haldhar (30), Manik Biswas (27), Johri (28), and Samir Mallik. Five mobile handsets with multiple SIM cards used in drug trafficking have also been recovered, police said.
“From last four months, a team was keeping a tab on the drug trafficking activities of this syndicate. Surveillance was mounted on the movements of members of this drug cartel and requisite intelligence was collected in this regard. Both secret sources and electronic surveillance were deployed to gather more information in this regard. During surveillance, it was revealed that heroin is being brought from West Bengal to Bareilly, UP and Delhi. Painstaking efforts of more than four months resulted in identifying of members of this syndicate,” Sanjeev Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) said.
On June 23, the police team received a tip off regarding delivery of a big consignment of heroin near Gokalpuri Flyover in Delhi. Acting on the tip off, a trap was laid and Ganesh, Manik and Johri were arrested and 4 kg heroin was recovered. During interrogation, it was revealed that Samir was the main kingpin and was later arrested from West Bengal.
Initially they were supplying heroin in UP and later started supplying to bigger drug peddlers in Delhi-NCR region. After the arrest of Samir, he told police that was supplying heroin in Bareilly and Delhi-NCR for last 10 years.
He used to get supply of heroin from Risawul of Malda in West Bengal. Risawul was introduced to him by one Kishore, a notorious drug supplier of the area, who is presently in Jail.
He further disclosed that heroin is brought from Malda as there are large illegal cultivation of opium in the area surrounding Kaalia Chowk in Malda District. This illicit opium is used to prepare heroin which is being pushed further north of India towards Delhi-NCR.