New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) In a major crackdown on international drug trafficking, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an organised syndicate involved in the illegal procurement and attempted export of psychotropic substances to the United States through international courier services.

According to a press release issued by the Crime Branch on April 27, the operation led to the recovery of commercial quantities of banned medicines, including Zolpidem, Tramadol and Diazepam. The police stated that the accused used forged KYC documents, fake invoices and courier networks to send contraband abroad while coordinating through digital platforms.

“The busting of this syndicate has exposed a complete chain involving procurement, concealment, fake documentation, courier routing, digital coordination and payment movement,” the Crime Branch said in its statement.

The case was registered under the NDPS Act after a suspicious parcel bound for the US was intercepted at a courier warehouse in Moti Nagar, Delhi, in September 2025. Upon inspection, officials found psychotropic substances concealed under the guise of ordinary goods.

Following an extensive investigation involving technical analysis, bank transactions, WhatsApp chats and courier records, five accused — Abhishek Bhargava, Yasar Khan, Nitin, Neeraj Raghav and Amitesh Rai — were arrested and charge-sheeted.

Police identified Yasar Khan as the alleged kingpin of the operation, responsible for coordinating procurement, managing foreign clients and routing payments through bank and UPI channels. Notably, Khan has a prior criminal record linked to a similar NDPS case in Lucknow, indicating his involvement in illegal drug trade activities.

Investigators revealed that the syndicate sourced medicines through pharmaceutical distributors using fake or manipulated invoices. The drugs were then concealed in parcels disguised as harmless items such as cotton and lace products. To evade detection, batch numbers on medicine strips were deliberately obscured using marker ink.

During the raid, authorities recovered over 3,500 tablets of Zolpidem and more than 2,500 tablets of Tramadol from the intercepted parcel. Additional seizures made during arrests included significant quantities of Diazepam and other substances.

The Delhi Police stated, “This operation reflects the continuous vigilance and focused action of the Crime Branch against organised drug trafficking networks using courier channels.”

–IANS

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