In one of the biggest ever seizure of drugs in recent times, the Delhi Police on Friday claimed to have recovered 82 kilograms of heroin worth Rs 334 crore in international market.

The Special Cell sleuths carried out four separate raids and arrested 10 drug peddlers and recovered the huge consignment. Police officials said more arrests and recovery of contraband will be effected as raids are still going on to break the entire nexus of drug runners.

In first incident, Delhi Police have arrested three persons including the kingpin who used to operate international drug syndicate from North-east region in the country. Police have also recovered 44.5 kgs of heroin worth Rs 180 crores in international market from the possession of the trio.

The accused have been identified as Shamuta Banu (54) the kingpin and resident of district Nagaon in Assam, Dhanji Gupta (49) and Dheeraj Kumar (24) both residents of district Rohtash in Bihar.

According to Pramod Singh Kushwaha, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell (southern range), members of this international drug syndicate, who were involved in supply of heroin from Myanmar through Manipur and further supply this drug to Delhi, Rajasthan, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, were identified and specific inputs were received regarding two members of this cartel who would be coming on March 7, to deliver the consignment to their contact near Indraprastha Park, Ring Road, Delhi for supply to parts of North India.

"A trap was laid and duo was apprehended. Bags of duo were searched and 21 kgs heroin, that is 15.5 kgs from Dhanji and 5.5 kgs from Dheeraj Kumar was recovered. On their instance, the lynchpin Banu was arrested by police team at her house and police had also recovered 23.5 kgs of heroin from her possession," said the DCP.

Explaining their modus operandi the DCP said, during interrogation, it has been revealed that Shamuta Banu receives crude heroin from a person from Manipur. She has disclosed that said person from Manipur procures heroin from Myanmar.

"Shamuta Banu with the help of Dhanji Gupta and other associates used to further process crude heroin into fine quality heroin with some chemicals in Bihar and then she used to supply the prepared heroin to various persons in North India, Siliguri in West Bengal, Bihar, UP.

She used to get above precursors from a person of Jhalawar in Rajasthan and she further supply heroin to him," said the DCP.

Members of this syndicate have links with drug suppliers in Manipur who procured narcotic drugs from Myanmar. They also disclosed that there is widespread illegal cultivation of opium in bordering areas of Manipur. Drug manufacturers prepare heroin from opium and supply it further in parts of country," said Kushwaha.

In the second raid, three Afghan nationals and one Nigerian were arrested for allegedly supplying drug in national Capital and 2.5 kg heroin worth Rs 10 crore in international market was recovered from their possession. The accused have been identified as Ehsanullah (28), Mohammad Amin (47) and Abdul Razzak (43), natives of Afghanistan and Nnadozie Emmanuel (32), a native of Nigeria.

"After getting a tip-off on Tuesday, police arrested three Afghan nationals from Lajpat Nagar. 2 kg of heroin was recovered from their possession. Later, it was revealed that the heroin was smuggled in India through after swallowing the capsules, which were later extracted from the excreted feces. Each capsules weigh about 20 grams and each carrier can carry few dozen capsules at one go," the DCP said.

"On their instance, police raided several places on Wednesday and on Thursday, one Nnadozie Emmanuel (32), a native of Nigeria, was arrested from Maidangarhi and 550 grams heroin along with over 4000 medicines of different kinds recovered from his possession," said Kushwaha. 

In another two raids by the teams of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadad have arrested five persons and recovered 36 kg heroin worth more than Rs 144 crore in the international market.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Sikandar (30) Mohammad Umar (26) both residents of Thoubal in Manipur, Ankush (25) resident of Mangolpuri in Delhi,  Amit (34) resident of sector-15, Rohini, Delhi and  Mukesh (32) resident of Phase-1 in Delhi's Budh Vihar.

"The twin operations were conducted by the Delhi Police to nab the accused. In first operation, on March 8, acting on the tip off a trap was laid and two accused Sikander and Umar were apprehended by police.

Police recovered 32 kgs of heroin from the possession of the accused," said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell (northern range).

"During interrogation, they said that the heroin was delivered to them by one Mukand at Guwahati (Assam) at the behest of one Mamu of Bareilly and it was scheduled to be delivered to some contacts of Mamu in Delhi.  On the other hand, police received information about the members of a drug supplying gang who used to bring high grade heroin from Bareilly based suppliers," said the DCP.

"In second operation, on March 13, specific inputs were received that two key members of this inter-state drug cartel, Ankush and Amit, would come in Rohini area to deliver consignment of heroin to Mukesh following which a trap was laid and the accused were nabbed with four kgs of heroin in their possession," said Yadav.