Delhi Police launched Operation Kawach in 2023, targeting street and high-level drug trafficking to curb youth and child addiction.
New Delhi: The Delhi drug trade has emerged as a significant concern, raising alarms within the security apparatus due to its impact on society and its role in expanding criminal networks.
According to recent reports, the Delhi police have made several major drug busts, seizing large quantities of cocaine and marijuana worth thousands of crores. A notable case this week involved the seizure of 562 kg of cocaine, worth Rs 5,620 crore, and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at Rs 200 crore.
To combat the drug menace, Delhi Police launched Operation Kawach in 2023, a major anti-narcotics initiative targeting both street-level and high-level trafficking. The operation, coordinated across all district units, involves the Crime Branch and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and aims to curb drug addiction among youth and children.
Last month, Delhi police arrested 74 people in connection with narcotics cases after raids at 325 locations across 15 districts. The raids recovered 108.93 grams of heroin, 66.28 kg of ganja, 1.1 kg of charas, and 16 grams of MDMA. By August 31, police had arrested 961 narco-criminals in nearly 700 NDPS cases, seizing 65 kg of heroin, 1.9 kg of cocaine, 2,258 kg of ganja, 102 kg of opium, 42 kg of charas, and 73 kg of poppy head.
A top-ranking IPS officer, speaking anonymously to The Sunday Guardian, stated, “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Narcotics consumption has reached alarming levels, comparable to alcohol, with marijuana being smoked openly by children and students as it’s easily available and inexpensive.”
He added, “It’s difficult to estimate the total narcotics seized by Delhi Police, but we’ve nabbed over 1,000 kg of marijuana in recent weeks, which is extremely alarming.”
Officials indicated that drugs enter Delhi primarily via two routes: the Meerut-Delhi and Himachal-Delhi routes. Most cannabis and charas come from the Odisha-Andhra border, while Malana cream (charas) originates from the Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh.
While marijuana is widely available and inexpensive, chemical-based drugs like cocaine and heroin cater to a more affluent class and are typically considered party drugs.
Another security official, speaking anonymously, revealed that much of the narcotic trade occurs in resettlement colonies and slum areas like Mangolpuri and Gokulpuri. Peddlers frequently change locations to evade police detection and often operate within large networks, many being repeat offenders.
“The drug supply operates at small, large, and commercial scales. For commercial supply, peddlers avoid police scrutiny by delivering consignments on multiple trips. Despite our vigilance and intelligence, they are becoming smarter, but we are successfully dismantling their networks,” the official noted.
Drugs also contribute to crime, particularly through the economic-compulsive model, where individuals commit crimes like theft and burglary to support their habits. In some cases, traffickers direct buyers to engage in criminal activities in exchange for their supplies.
The police have been tracking suspected traffickers, conducting raids on hideouts, identifying smuggling routes, and investigating possible narco-terror links in high-profile cases.
While the latest drug bust is a significant victory for Delhi Police, it underscores the ongoing challenges of tackling drug trafficking in the city. Despite successes, growing demand continues to fuel the narcotics trade, with officials warning that “it’s not just the supply, but the demand that’s driving more narcotics into the capital.”