Opium in 'anardana goli': Delhi Police busts international drug cartel; two held

New Delhi: Delhi Police has busted an international drug syndicate that was smuggling high-quality opium in the form of 'anardana' digestive tablets and arrested two men of the cartel, an official said on Wednesday.

Delhi Police's Crime Branch, which conducted the operation, said that the accused, including the kingpin, have been arrested, exposing how the accused were using Ayurvedic products to ship narcotics abroad.

The accused, identified as Harvinder Kumar alias Harsh Dawar and Lalit Ahuja alias Lucky, were operating from Ludhiana in Punjab, according to police.

"They used their medical businesses to camouflage narcotics as herbal digestive tablets and concealed them in international courier parcels headed to Canada and Australia," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Harsh Indora in a statement said.

The officer further said that the case came to light on May 22 when the Crime Branch received information regarding a suspicious international shipment.

"A team raided the facility and found 465 grams of opium concealed in tablets resembling 'anardana goli', a common digestive sold in India. The contraband was hidden among chocolates, clothes and other items," said the officer.

An FIR was registered, and an investigation led the police to Ludhiana. On May 24, Lalit Ahuja, who ran a drug store, was apprehended. A further seven grams of similar opium tablets were recovered from his shop.

During interrogation, Ahuja revealed the entire modus operandi and the identity of the main supplier, Harvinder Kumar, who ran a wholesale medical business in the same city.

The DCP said that the duo manufactured the opium in tablet form, mimicking the texture and appearance of the digestive tablet to pass off the drugs as Ayurvedic items.

"The tablets were packed in original-looking boxes of well-known herbal brands to avoid detection," said the DCP, adding that the cartel may have already managed to send multiple consignments overseas before the racket was unearthed.

After Ahuja's arrest, Kumar went underground, frequently changing locations and SIM cards while moving across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The team later traced his location, and on June 26, he was apprehended in a raid at his agency office in Ludhiana.

Further investigation is underway to identify the overseas recipients and financial networks involved in the racket, he added.