This multifaceted operation, which began with the seizure of heroin in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh a year back and resulted in the busting of a suspected international narco-gangster criminal nexus involving in heroin smuggling in India, is what the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) describes as the agency’s biggest financial investigation ever.
As The Print has reported, the NCB Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was awarded the Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal for 2023, successfully solved the “basket” case (as defined by NCB) after a laborious investigation that involved collaboration with numerous law enforcement organizations, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and police forces in Gujarat and Punjab.
The complex investigation involved tying together a number of threads, including establishing money trails, hawala channels, and trade-based channels for drug money, in addition to terror links and the used land (Attari border) and sea (Mundra port) routes.
The Print further reported that about 1,100 kg of heroin may have been smuggled into India but has not yet been located, but the agency continues to be vigilant in tracking this.
“This is the NCB’s biggest-ever financial investigation. The NCB’s SIT worked with financial investigators, and hired tech professionals, along with its other zonal units, Punjab Police, the ED, NIA, intel agencies to probe how the drug money is also being pumped into real estate, liquor businesses, entertainment industry etc,” Gyaneshwar Singh, NCB deputy director general (operations), who led the SIT, told media outlet.
For the first time, this 14-member team received an award for a special operation.
Home Minister Amit Shah had urged chief ministers to initiate necessary measures to make India a drug-free nation by 2047 when it completes 100 years of Independence.
Also Read: Debate Rages On Right To Broadcast Live Surgeries
