Major Synthetic Drug Ring Dismantled in Tamil Nadu: 14 Arrested Including Foreign Nationals

Buyers transferred funds to designated bank accounts, primarily owned by elderly individuals from northeastern states

Chennai:

Police have dismantled a significant interstate synthetic drug operation managed by foreign nationals living in Tamil Nadu, exposing an intricate supply chain that extended across several states. The operation resulted in the arrest of fourteen people, including three foreign nationals, and the confiscation of cocaine and methamphetamine. Police characterized the network as a "complex, multi-layered system" operating without any direct interaction between buyers, sellers, or delivery personnel.

Tiruvallur Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Shukla informed NDTV: "The organization utilized encrypted WhatsApp communications and employed a distinctive delivery method. Customers deposited money into particular bank accounts, predominantly belonging to elderly residents of northeastern states. The drugs were subsequently placed in concealed locations during late night hours, with only GPS coordinates being shared. No direct contact occurred at any stage. This presented challenges due to the multiple layers involved."

According to police, the cartel sourced narcotics from Mumbai and northeastern states, with couriers traversing the tight inner pathways of Dharavi and scaling rooftops to reach suppliers, before the substances were distributed to urban centers like Chennai and Bengaluru.

Investigations uncovered that the network was directed by a foreign leader currently incarcerated in Puzhal Central Prison near Chennai. This individual allegedly managed operations via video conference calls, organizing supply routes to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Another significant operator, Bende, a Senegalese national, was apprehended following a 15-day operation across Delhi and Noida, where a specialized team monitored multiple suspected hideouts. Police reported that when they finally located his apartment, a substantial quantity of drugs was disposed of in the toilet just before the raid.

The enforcement action was conducted under the general supervision of North Zone Inspector General of Police Asra Garg, involving police personnel from multiple districts.

Officials noted that with increased enforcement against cannabis trafficking, many users, particularly students, and dealers are transitioning to synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine, which are more expensive and frequently trafficked through networks of college alumni and foreign resident communities.