Chemical drugs like cocaine appear to be in “high demand” as compared to “organic” ones such as charas and ganja, going by the Delhi Police’s official numbers on drug seizures made in the Capital since 2021.
According to data, a total of 1,293.298 kg of cocaine was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in 2024, while just 0.413 kg was seized in 2021. “This is not pure cocaine. It is mixed with various other chemical drugs like meth and sold at inflated prices,” a police officer said.
On the other hand, the more “easily available” ganja and charas have seen a dip in seizures. Data shows that in 2021, 9,154.322 kg of ganja was seized under the NDPS Act, which went down by almost half to 4,363.122 kg in 2024. Also, 80.62 kg of charas was seized under the NDPS Act in 2021, which went down to 51.111 kg in 2024.
Police said there are multiple factors behind the increase in meth-mixed cocaine seizures. “Chemical drugs have become a status symbol among young people, which has led to an increase in demand. Cocaine mixed with meth and heroin is becoming more popular among those who can afford them as compared to charas and ganja,” a police officer said.
The supply of these chemical drugs, police said, is maintained by a combination of international routes and domestic processing units, which are sometimes set up in collaboration with international cartel members.
Heroin, officers said, is mostly supplied via Iran. “Heroin usually comes from Afghanistan. However, it’s difficult for Afghan nationals to get a visa (to India). Hence it’s first taken to Iran and transported from there via both sea and air routes,” a police officer said.
Meth and cocaine, police said, are either sourced from South American countries, where various cartels are active, or small processing units in Delhi-NCR and beyond.
In October this year, the Delhi Police Special Cell (TYR) recovered 1,289 kg of cocaine from Delhi and Gujarat which was allegedly smuggled in by a cartel led by Dubai-based businessman Virendra Basoiya. Police officers claimed the drugs came from South America, primarily Colombia, via Dubai on cargo ships and were meant to be distributed across Delhi, Mumbai and Goa.
“Previously, cocaine and meth used to come from South American Nations like Panama, Peru and Mexico via sea routes. But the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) has now launched various operations in the past few years. Due to that, many peddlers have started processing them in small factory-like units. Some of them have links with South American cartels,” the police officer said.
In October, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Tihar Jail’s warden Naveen Mann from a methamphetamine factory in Gautam Buddh Nagar and recovered 95 kg of drugs in solid and liquid form. It also arrested four other people, including the prime accused, Amit Singh, and a Mexican national linked with the notorious CJNG (Jalisco New Generation) cartel, Gustavo.
“A Delhi-based businessman, who was inside at the time of the raid, along with a Tihar jail warden was instrumental in establishing the illegal factory, procuring chemicals required for manufacturing of methamphetamine from various sources, and importing the machinery,” said NCB Deputy Director General (operations) Gyaneshwar Singh.
Even inside the Capital, many individual peddlers continue to run in-house processing units of drugs like meth and distribute them using public transport, the officer said. “They are mostly run in areas like Vikaspuri and Mohan Garden. Many of the accused are from the African continent. They transport the packages through auto drivers and delivery boys whom they book on apps for a whole day and send them to different locations,” the police officer said.
In February, two Nigerian nationals died due to an explosion in the meth lab they were running inside their home in Burari, police officers had said. In November, another meth lab run by two African-origin ‘cooks’ was busted in Dwaraka’s Mahavir Enclave after a fire erupted, police had said.
Police officers said that even when arrested in drug-related cases, the trial of foreign nationals takes a lot of time. They get out on bail in the interim and continue processing after getting new identities and addresses, they said.
Drugs recovered from a factory in Gujarat earlier this year. (File) 
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