Rs 262 crore methamphetamine seized in Chhatarpur
A joint team of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Delhi Police Special Cell has recovered 328 kg of methamphetamine worth around Rs 262 crore from a house in Chhatarpur.
The officials said this is one of Delhi’s biggest synthetic drug seizures. Two people, including a woman from Nagaland, were arrested on November 20 in the operation.
The crackdown, named Operation Crystal Fortress, was built on months of technical intercepts, undercover work and coordination between several agencies.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the arrests mark the unravelling of a large trafficking chain that used Delhi as a distribution hub for India and other countries.
“This is a major hit to a cartel that operates across countries,” a senior Delhi Police officer involved in the operation said.
The officer added that the team used long-term surveillance and intelligence inputs to locate the safe house in Chhatarpur. The methamphetamine stock was found at the home of the Nagaland-native woman in South Delhi. Officers said she had been under watch for weeks.
Her arrest was made possible with support from the Nagaland Police. Sources said she was part of the middle layer of the cartel and used her rented home as storage space for bulk consignments.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the joint team. In a post on X, he said the Government is breaking drug cartels at an “unprecedented pace” and that the seizure reflects a strong “top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top” investigation strategy. He praised the operation as a “brilliant example of seamless multi-agency coordination”.
According to investigators, the cartel is linked to an accused who is believed to be operating from abroad. He is also wanted in last year’s NCB case involving 82.5 kg of high-grade cocaine seized in Delhi.
The Government said efforts are underway, with the help of international partners, to secure his deportation. Officers said the network used couriers, front houses, handlers and large-scale safe locations across states.
Delhi was a central point because of its connectivity, transport routes and access to international links.
The Chhatarpur property was one of several safe houses used to hide bulk drugs before distribution.
Investigators believe the cartel moved drugs using small courier units to avoid detection. Each courier handled a limited number of packets so that the risk was spread out.
These units reported to mid-level handlers who then reported to foreign-based operators. Officers said this layering made the network difficult to crack.
The large methamphetamine haul suggests the cartel was preparing a major shipment. Officers said bulk consignments of this size indicate supply lines that stretch beyond India’s borders.
They are now checking financial links, chat records and bank transfers to map the full chain.
The MHA said the arrests came after a “relentless pursuit” spread across several months. Technical surveillance tracked calls, digital communication and financial trails. Intelligence teams coordinated with the Nagaland Police after links to the arrested woman were found.
The second person arrested is believed to be a courier or associate who helped manage logistics.
Both are being questioned to identify other members of the network. Officers said they expect more arrests. Residents in Chhatarpur told police they had no idea the house was being used to store drugs.
Officers said this is a common tactic, as cartels prefer quiet residential areas where movement does not attract suspicion.
Police said the drug stock recovered is of high purity. Samples have been sent for lab testing. The meth has been sealed and stored as evidence.
The Special Cell and NCB will now file detailed reports to link the seizure with international networks. Officers said the focus is not only on arresting local couriers but also on dismantling supply lines abroad.
Operation Crystal Fortress is expected to continue as teams trace the remaining operatives and move to cut financial and logistical channels.
