Chandigarh, Nov 24: The Chandigarh Police Crime Branch on Tuesday announced the arrest of 12 individuals linked to two major interstate drug syndicates, seizing narcotics and assets worth over ₹8.15 crore across Chandigarh, Delhi, Zirakpur, and Punjab. Recoveries included 1.2 kg of cocaine, 476 grams of heroin, 2 grams of ICE, nearly ₹26 lakh in cash, gold and silver jewellery, five vehicles, a note-counting machine, and six QR code scanners.
According to police, the syndicates operated complex supply chains, procuring drugs from Delhi, including from suppliers connected to African nationals, and distributing them locally through street peddlers. “They adopted advanced methods, such as milestone drop-points, third-party UPI transfers, and QR code scans to minimize detection,” noted a senior official.
The operation’s first success came on November 7, when Assistant Sub-Inspector Bhupinder Singh arrested Ashwani Kumar, alias Ashu, from Sector 40 with 47.80 grams of heroin. Subsequent interrogations led to the arrests of peddlers Sunil, alias Darchi, Salman, and Sonu, alias Kallu or Don, a key link between local sellers and interstate suppliers.
The investigation revealed Bunty, a supplier based in Dhakoli, as a central figure connected to Delhi sources. Police said Bunty obtained cocaine from Sunny in Uttam Nagar and synthetic drugs from African nationals before channeling them to Tricity peddlers.
Further arrests on November 19 by Sub-Inspector Daljeet Singh included Rahul and Arun Kumar from Sector 25 and Dadumajra, with seizures of 109.56 grams and 36.80 grams of cocaine. This led to four more arrests—Inderjeet Singh, alias Rohit, Tinku, Akash, and Vishal—yielding 184 grams of cocaine, 279 grams of heroin, and other recoveries.
Authorities said Arun Kumar was the main handler, procuring cocaine from Delhi and managing finances through multiple bank accounts. “He supplied Rahul for over a year; Rahul packaged drugs in one-gram units, used drop-points for delivery, and received payments via UPI to avoid direct dealings,” explained police. Akash oversaw bank transactions and distribution, Inderjeet acted as middleman linking Arun with a Punjab-based supplier, while Vishal, a pharmacy graduate, provided heroin for cash.
Police noted that many accused came from economically challenged families, working as cobblers, street vendors, helpers, or daily-wage earners before joining the drug trade. “Some were driven by medical expenses, debt, or the lure of quick income,” they said, adding that a few held graduate degrees but were limited to low-paying jobs prior to their involvement in trafficking.
