Three held for running drug trafficking network
The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested three people, including a husband and wife, for allegedly running an interstate heroin trafficking network from Uttar Pradesh to the national Capital. A total of 1.504 kilograms of heroin, valued at around 7.5 crore in the international market, has been seized from them.
The arrests were made by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Crime Branch after a targeted operation near the Bhopura border, which connects northeast Delhi with Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Police identified the main accused as Arif Khan, who worked as a taxi driver, his wife Shikha Ali, 30, and their associate, Jumman, 31, a resident of Bhalswa Dairy in Delhi.
According to officials, the couple transported heroin from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and supplied it to contacts in Ghaziabad and different parts of Delhi.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said the ANTF had received specific intelligence about Arif Khan’s activities. He was suspected of bringing large quantities of heroin into Delhi over the past few months.
Investigators found that Khan used his Maruti Wagon R taxi to move the contraband. To avoid suspicion, he travelled with his wife so that they appeared to be an ordinary family on the move. Police said the couple usually crossed into Delhi late at night to escape routine checks.
After tracking his routes and entry timings, the ANTF team laid a trap near the Bhopura border on February 10. The team used two vehicles to intercept the suspect’s taxi. Khan was driving, and his wife was seated next to him.
During the search of the vehicle, officers recovered 1.310 kilograms of heroin from their possession. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered the same day, and both were taken into custody.
During questioning, Khan revealed that he sourced the heroin from a supplier in Bareilly identified as Rahil. He then distributed the drug to recipients in Ghaziabad and Delhi. One of his key receivers was Jumman, who lived in the Bhalswa Dairy area. Police said Jumman had received a 500-gram consignment from Khan on February 7.
