22 held after NCB drug bust; NCB officer among those held

After the drug bust by NCB on Friday, a total of 22 people, including four women, have been held so far in the case. The drugs, it has been learnt, were being sourced from outside India, including such as the US, UK, The Netherlands and Poland. One NCB officer was also arrested in the case, with allegations levelled against him of helping the main accused.

New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in a significant bust, has upended a major pan-India drug network. A total of 22 accused were arrested as part of the operation. It has been learnt that the drug trade was flourishing through the darknet both in and outside India.

Several operations took place in multiple states, including Delhi-NCR, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Among the arrested is an NCB officer, against whom the serious allegation of helping the main accused has surfaced.

The operation resulted in four cases being lodged and 17 seizures being made throughout Saturday.

DNM India, Dread and The Orient Express were the three major drug markets being run on the dark web, the operation has revealed.

Software engineers, MBA graduates, and financial analysts featured among the 22, including four women, held in the case. The recreational narcotic substances, as per information, was being sourced from US, UK, Netherlands and Poland through various courier services as well as the India Post network.

975 LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) blots, 130 gms psychotropic tablets, 6 gms heroin, paste and liquid of cannabis, 1.6 gms cocaine, 16 Alprazolam tablets, 315.8 gms charas, 171 gms hashish chocolate, a dozen capsules of Spasomoproxyvon and 7.9 kg of imported cannabis was part of the bust.

With agency inputs