The Delhi police has busted a major cross-border narcotics smuggling racket worth over Rs 10 crore and arrested 10 people. One of them revealed they used the online game PUBG to connect with his heroin supplier.
The smuggling cartel spanned across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Mewat and the Delhi-NCR region and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch dismantled it under ‘Operation Clean Sweep,’ sources said here on Sunday.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 1,667 grams of superfine-quality Afghan-origin heroin and 130 grams of a suspected chemical substance, along with crucial digital evidence and illicit cash proceeds, they said. Moreover, five properties worth over Rs 10 crore were identified for further financial investigation.
The cartel came under the radar when Faheem Farooq, a 37-year-old resident of Srinagar, J and K, was intercepted by a team led by ACP Anil Sharma under the supervision of DCP Apoorva Gupta. Acting on specific inputs, police laid a trap and arrested Faheem in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar area.
They recovered 996 grams of high-grade heroin and Rs 1,65,000 in cash from his posession, suspected to be proceeds from drug sales. Faheem, who had suffered financial losses in his father’s jewellery business, reportedly confessed to being involved in heroin distribution.
He disclosed that he worked under Shazia Peer, a key player in the network, who provided him with contacts and coordinated drug deliveries from a Punjab-based supplier known as Harry.
Following Faheem’s interrogation, police raided Shazia’s residence in Jangpura Extension, Delhi. Though initially absconding, she was later tracked and arrested. Investigators recovered from her a concealed mobile phone containing contacts of cross-border drug suppliers.
Shazia, originally from Srinagar, revealed her connections with associates based in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Punjab, including individuals identified as Sohrab, Hafiz, and Harry. She admitted that she used Faheem to collect consignments from Punjab and would pay him Rs 50,000 per delivery.
The contraband, she claimed, was routed from Afghanistan into India through Pakistan and J and K and distributed in Delhi via her aide Javed, who was also arrested during a subsequent raid.
The Punjab connection of the cartel came to light through the arrest of Parminder Singh Deol, alias Harry, a resident of Prakash Nagar, Ludhiana. Singh was identified from CCTV footage at a Murthal eatery, where he handed over heroin to Faheem.
Posing as bank officials, the Crime Branch team apprehended him after mounting technical and manual surveillance. Parminder was previously booked under multiple cases including theft, robbery, and arms possession.
His phone revealed chats with drug traffickers in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UK. He also disclosed that narcotics were smuggled from Afghanistan through Pakistan into Punjab before being routed into J and K and Delhi.
Singh also revealed the names of other operatives, including Salwinder Singh, Ravi Sher Singh, and Varinder Singh, all of whom were later arrested in coordinated raids across Amritsar and Tarn Taran.
Salwinder Singh was picked up from Amritsar where police officers camouflaged as paddy field workers to maintain stealth. He had a prior criminal case registered under sections related to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Parallel efforts led to the arrest of Sarabjeet Singh, from whose possession digital devices were recovered. His brother also has a known criminal history under the NDPS Act. Varinder Singh, also known as Sonu, was later apprehended from Tarn Taran and confessed to being both an addict and a trafficker. He revealed the names of Ravi Sher Singh and Manjinder Singh as his suppliers.
Ravi Sher Singh and Manjinder Singh were arrested while riding a motorcycle near Daleke village in Tarn Taran. Police recovered 130 grams of heroin from their vehicle.
During sustained interrogation, Ravi led the police to his rented accommodation in Tarn Taran, where an additional 299 grams of heroin of Afghan origin was seized.
Investigators found several incriminating videos and evidence of his links with drug traffickers across the border. He disclosed that he procured consignments directly from villages near the Pakistan border. Ravi’s family already has multiple NDPS cases pending against them in Punjab.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Jashanpreet Singh, who was initially missing when a raid was conducted at his home in Village Dhun. He was eventually located in Narli village, hiding at a relative’s residence. On questioning, he confessed to storing 372 grams of heroin at his home, which was later recovered.
The most startling revelation came when he admitted to having made contact with a drug supplier via the PUBG gaming app-a method used to bypass surveillance and traditional communication tracking.
The police also seized 15 mobile phones containing chats, videos, and contact lists pointing toward a highly organised international network. Two motorcycles used for supply runs were confiscated. The network not only trafficked heroin but is also suspected to have facilitated weapons and explosive material.
